I ordered this just before Christmas and got them in the promised two-day shipping period.  I wanted a dress boot that would be fine with jeans as well as slacks.  Other than the buckle, these would lock just fine with dress slacks and even then, they just add some personal flare.  While wearing them with jeans or slacks, I doubt anyone would notice the side buckle.  They fit very comfortably even after removing the provided sole inserts and applying my personal orthotics.  I've worn these for a full three days now and my feet feel just fine.  They are not tennis shoes nor are they hiking boots so they do have some getting used to since the sole is fairly firm.  It is a non-slip sole so it works well in wet weather.  The side zipper goes from the top of the ankle to the bottom of the instep near the sole.  It makes putting on the boots very easy.  The zipper is very high quality and zips easily, no tugging or hard pulling.  The zippers stay up and in place during the day.  For me, the fit around the ankle is comfortable, not tight nor very loose, more like what I expected.

The leather seems to stand up well to weather.  It has been wet where I live this Christmas but not snowy.  The boots repel water but I'm sure I'll need to add some boot polish in a few days.  I don't see any of the color coming off and I have bumped these boots under tables and against curbs and other obstacles the last few days.

I bought a 12 EE which is exactly what I needed and got.  It's not too big nor too tight.  They seemed to be broke in the day I put them on.  The leather is very nice and soft.

If you're looking for a semi-dress boot that fits well, then this is a pretty good boot to buy.  I don't hardly rate anything 5 stars because it wasn't free!