I must admit when I saw these I was not sure if I was going to buy them not knowing what size to buy. I value the reviews by Amazon consumers so once I started reading the reviews I was confused as to what size to get. Without reading the reviews I would have ordered my regular size which is 7. However, I read all of the reviews at the time of my purchase and decided to go with a size 5. I was very nervous I ordered a size too small after I placed the order but figured I would wait and see.

The boots could not have arrived at a better time for me. In the area we live we had almost a foot of snow and the temperatures are in the mid teens. When I opened the box I thought they were too small (by looking at them). However, once I put both of them on they fit! I did not have to undo the sides either, I just slide them on my foot and they went on. I am 5'7" and the boots hit right about my mid calf. I remember reading someone saying they went to their knees. They are not even close to my knees but I guess that all depends. I walked around the house in them for hours to `stretch' them out as others had stated. I realized you are not truly `stretching' them out though. They have a rubber sole so it is impossible and not logical to think you can do so. However, there is a lot of lining in the boot. I think what people meant by `stretching' them out was that you need to let you feet conform to the lining. Let you foot take shape of the lining and mold to the shoe. Once that happened I could feel they were a bit looser but still a great fit. My feet are narrow and I could tell that if I ordered another size up my foot would be stepping up and down out of the heel. The boots have a wide width to them.

As much lining that the boots have and for having an inch heel I feel closer to the ground in these than I do in half inch or less shoes/sandals. You can actually `feel' the floor under the boot when you walk. That concerns me about longevity but I will have to wait and see.  I compared them to the shoes I had on in the house that day size wise which were a pair of 7 ladies crocs. The crocs measured 10  at the bottom of the shoe from top to bottom. The boots measure exactly 10 inches.

After `breaking' them in only in the house I went to the store that has the smiley face and bought some&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Kiwi-Suede-Protector/dp/B001333OZQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Kiwi Suede Protector</a>. It ran about seven dollars. It states on the can it repels water and stains on suede on all colors. I applied it to the boots twice. It made the black boots I selected a tad darker but not by much. I also warn to make sure you have access to a well ventilated area when spraying them as the spray is strong odor wise.

I am very please with the boots and again had it not been for all the reviews I would not have known to order down. Ordering a size or two down is going to depend on what you feel comfortable with though. I am so glad the 5's fit my size 7 foot perfectly though. I am very happy with my purchase and would highly recommend these boots to keep your feet warm and also for the style.