As a graduate student, these shoes transition well between work and casual wear. These look great with skinny jeans which are a wardrobe staple. In the southeast, these have proven decent "winter" shoes - providing enough shelter from the chill and rain, but not too thick or heavy. I probably wouldn't use this boot as a hiking shoe, but for a hilly, brick-paved campus it works quite well.

The shoe is eventually very comfy, but admittedly needs to be broken in. It's a little snug in the toe to begin with, but the material stretches pretty easily (compared to leather, for instance). I also added an insert on both heels for a more secure fit and to prevent blisters. So far so good. Also, I wear a 10w or 11 normally, but order the 10 and it's fine for me.