I typically buy size 8.5 women's shoes, which is what I ordered. Crossed my fingers, because this was the first time I'd ever ordered footwear on the internet and was apprehensive about the size - I was almost certain they wouldn't fit and I'd have to exchange them for a different size. And surprise! The boots fit perfectly. These boots do not have a zipper or laces, so not sure why people expect them to be easy to get on. If the boot ankle was wide enough to comfortably slide your foot into, they'd be too loose once on your feet. My foot easily slides into the boot until my heel connects with the back of the boot shaft. I grip the back of the opening of the boot and pull up while pushing my foot down, and my foot slides in. That's how you put boots on. Yes, there will be minor difficultly sliding your heel in. You should expect that in a boot without a zipper. If you literally cannot fit your foot into the boot, then you bought the wrong size boot. That's not the company's fault - the product description was pretty clear on the size of everything, and it shouldn't be too hard to take a ruler and measure the length of your foot and compare it to the sizing chart.

Once on my feet, these boots are amazingly comfortable. They fit snugly. I prefer these snug boots for activities like riding a motorcycle, walking in grass/mud/dirt, taking my dog to the park, and things of that nature, because my feet do not slide around in them at all. They aren't particularly warm when out in the cold for a while, but they keep the water out. The insoles aren't glued down, or if they are they aren't glued well, so the insoles have a habit to come up when I take the boot off after wearing them for a while. Certainly easy to fix if you get annoyed with that. I don't mind - it allows to me easily pull them out and wash them if my boots start to smell.

As for the finish - it is dark. The leather underneath is the typical bright shade of leather. I crouch a lot - therefore, lines of bright leather broke through the finish where my toes bend. It didn't look particularly nice at first, but now that I've worn these boots for about a month the finish has an overall worn look. However, I should note that the toes have no wear on them, since that part of the boot typically does not bend when worn- same with the heel. The rest of the boot is soft and moves and will have a worn look after prolonged wear. But the toes are a noticeable shade darker, so if you think you wouldn't like how that looks, bear that in mind when buying. I don't mind it at all - when wearing boot-cut jeans, that's the only part of my boot people can see anyway. And I wear these mostly for function, not fashion. I attached a photo so you can see what I'm talking about.

I'm in the military, so I wear boots all day every day, and I can honestly say that these are probably one of the most comfortable pairs of boots that I've ever bought. I'm extremely satisfied with these. Wasn't expecting much, honestly, and was pleasantly surprised with what I got.