I have been looking for a flat black boot with a back zipper for a while, and these fit the bill nicely. As others have mentioned, the back zipper does take a bit of maneuvering but you get used to it. The boots are nice quality, sturdy, and very comfortable. As for sizing, I am very reliably an 8, but after reading some reviews here and elsewhere I decided to size down half a size. I'm glad I did - the fit is perfect. I also got these for roughly half price on Amazon Warehouse - thanks Amazon!