I was willing to give these a chance for the ridiculousy low price I was getting them for. When I pulled them out of the box I immediately planned a day as to when to wear em' The leather smells leather'ish and yes, they are "Leather" the boots just look expensive and they're not as heavy as they might look in the pic. They are very snug to the ankle and are I believe true to size. The leather isn't that hard tough leather either. I believe after a few wears you'll be running in these.
Love em'! great addition to any shoe collector ;)