The wide version was not wide enough for me, which was disappointing. 5.11 sizes are also apparently much smaller than Bates sizes. My 5" Bates ultralights were a size too big at 9 XW, and these 5.11 6" boots were a size too small at 9 2E. The sizing charts and recommendations are pretty useless. You should just be prepared to return the first pair to find the right size. However, I didn't have time for that and wore these anyway. Uncomfortable, but not impossible. I found that I stubbed my toe a lot in these boots, but that might just be because they were too small.

The worst thing about these boots is that the smooth surface of the leather on the toe is extremely thin. It visibly wrinkles if you touch it. It didn't take long for that to wear off and leave them looking old and ugly. The side zip is nice, though you have to use it in combination with the laces. It helps that the laces are hooked on near the top -- you can get the boot open faster this way. However, you might want to close the hooks a little to make sure you don't accidentally hook something like the laces on your other boot. If it weren't for the horrible quality of the leather, these boots would be good. The stitching is great and nothing has come loose after over 8 months. Also, the checkered pattern on the back of the boot holds up well, and isn't as unsightly as I had expected -- I don't expect 5.11 to pull its collective head out anytime soon, but no-one wants space boots and uniformed personnel might understandably refuse to wear these for this reason.