I love these boots, with a couple of caveats. They are really warm, which is good, as it's been close to zero degrees here for weeks, so my feet are happy about that (although they'd undoubtedly be too warm to wear inside for an entire day). The biggest bummer is that they do not have any arch support, and that truly sucks. However, the foot bed is firmly padded, so it's not complete murder to walk on, plus it keeps the foot warm- it just doesn't make it comfy to wear all day or walk long distances without fatigue. So far, the inside padding has not smushed down, so I would say listen to the other reviews and go ahead and order 1/2 size larger than usual if you want to wear a heavier weight sock. FWIW, I usually wear between an 8 1/2 and a 9, and I got a 9 1/2 in these boots and do not feel they are too big at all. I have had no problem tucking in jeans or pants (I don't think you could wear these with pants over them- they'd be too bulky to fit), though I do not feel that they are overly loose around the calf (and I have really muscular calves).
I'm not wild about the dip down at the back of the shaft, because that's where slush splashes up when you walk, but other than discolored legs a few times, it hasn't been a deal breaker; also, because of that very design element, they do look okay with skirts and dresses, and probably accommodate a wider range of calf sizes.