After seeing mixed reviews online I went to a local store that stocks these to see the quality for myself. I have been shopping for a black pair of boots that I can wear at work and for formal occasions. These are beautiful boots and the pics don't do them justice. I've shopped for similarly priced boots only to have found sub par quality at this price point. These look like they should go for much more that what they sell for. The craftsmanship on these rivals those that cost almost double or more. I normally wear an 11.5 and couldn't find my size at the retail location I went to. They only had 11 or 12. The 12 was way too big and the 11's were a little snug but broke in just fine. I always get complimented on these boots. Basic care will prevent the surface from flaking. Having shined boots in the military, I wouldn't see a problem keeping up with the shine on these and look forward to owning these for a long time. I have had the boots approximately 2 months at the time of this review. They have been through rain and dry climate. I recently added a layer of neutral polish to restore some shine. I haven't picked up some black polish yet since I haven't needed to. I'll update if anything changes.