I ordered the first pair in an 8.5 (I run somewhere between an 8 and 8.5). I tried them on after they arrived, and my toe was at the tip top of the boot. I could go barefoot or wear tights with these, but medium weight socks would've squished my toes, so I believe this boot runs a hair small. The 8.5's were a little hard to zip, however there was also a nickel sized raised bump in the sole on the right boot causing severe discomfort - so back they went.

Trying another, hopefully bump-less pair, I decided to size up to a 9. The 9's fit great, a little wiggle room in the toe box, enough to wear heavier socks (I don't anticipate using these as summer boots). I did notice a big change in the width of the boot as well from 8.5 to 9, i.e. being much wider. Unfortunately, the leather was wrinkled badly on the outside from where the label is sewn on inside the boot. Also the back zippers had very freyed stitching (no problem zipping this pair), and the sole stiching was off. Not to mention it was a whole different finish from the other pair of dark brown boots I had just ordered and returned! Lesson learned: there are two different dark brown boots - one is "antiqued" and the other is smooth and shiny. I liked the antiqued better (this is the one with grit on it), especially for a harness style boot. Other lesson learned: you can't pick which one you'll get on Amazon, but you can see the difference at Zappos and Shoes.com.

Trying them on and walking around the house, these boots felt great (the 9's). They are not heavy considering the amount of shoe you are getting. I ended up ordering 9's in antiqued dark brown on Shoes.com this week (20% off sale) - crossing fingers for no defects.

If you can shop for this boot in person, all the better as they vary greatly per pair. Otherwise you may have to go through a few pairs to find one without major flaws. It's worth it though!