I had a lot of apprehension in buying these boots (brown/yellow) because of all the negative reviews. I'm glad I trusted my gut instinct and just bought them anyway. I was familiar with the crocs sizing and knew exactly which size would be good (socks and all(.  My daughter can put these on herself (in fact, I just saw her put it on a few minutes ago). Granted, my daughter is in the petite range, I don't see why the ankles would pose any problems in putting these crocs on. The reviews made it sound like they were teeny tiny. They aren't! They also have an elastic so you can stretch it if needed. I can see why they should be snug -- to keep the warmth in. They are so adorable on my daughter's feet. I wish this style was available for adults as well. I do reviews and offer discounts on my site: shopperanza.com