I didn't know about the Swarovsky crystals when I ordered these boots. All I knew was that a pair of Old Gringos finally dipped into my price range, and they were in my size. (I also had the 20% shoe discount you can get by subscribing, and further called Amazon to see if we could change that 20% discount to 30%, and they agreed.)
So these might be a little too special to be every day boots. They definitely make you feel like a rock star, and they slightly make me feel like a show off. But with a pair of boot-cut jeans, the crystals are subtle. They don't light up like a Christmas tree, but they do reflect and refract light so you might see "stars" on the wall at just the right angle.
Size was perfect. With a thin pair of socks they felt a little big, but doubled with a footie and they were too tight. So I wear them with a single pair of thick socks and they're perfect. I have tricks for stretching and shrinking leather boots if you need them.
Overall I'm truly happy with these boots. I just wish I were comfortable wearing something this fancy every day.