bought these to replace my firstgear overboots after i put my fingers through one pulling them on. these feel much more sturdy and durable. i can slide shoe in easily and quick while standing, and when stopping on the road in the rain that is a huge deal. the button closure on top is sturdy and a great design as it allows for a bigger opening which aids in ease of putting on and removing. plus the little tab/lip on back of boot is ingenious and makes taking off so much easier: i can step on that, pull up on foot pulling overboot off slightly, then pull overboot off (again while standing- good balance.) the bottoms are more sturdy but still fold as does shaft, so while they are not as small pack as firstgear, they still collapse well for a semi-small pack. i'll stick with this brand as long as they hold up, which i expect they will very well. i am size 6/6.5 women's and small fits snug with only a very tiny room to spare in toe over my CAT work boots, dr. martins, and round toe cowboy boots (definitely harder to remove from cowboy boots as they are slip on/off and of course want to come off with overboot; and if your boots are pointy you definitely want to order up in size.) i'll order medium next time. i'm very much considering the 17inch in medium for help blocking the cold on winter trips, and also won't have to worry about rain pants riding up exposing top of boot with the taller boot.