I bought these boots because of the great style and warmth rating. These boots did not disappoint! I bought a size 8, I normally wear a size 7 to 7.5 in shoes. I also need inserts. With the inserts my heel is raised up just enough that there is no digging in of the rubber part of the back of the heel of the boot (there were some comments made about this in regards to some Columbia and Sorel boots). Recently DC got a lot of wet heavy snow. I spent hours shoveling and helping to unstick some stuck commuters. My feet were warm and dry. I wasn't even wearing winter socks. Like any boot, make sure your feet aren't cold before you place the boot on, otherwise your feet may remain cold.