I ordered these boots thinking that they would be pretty tough, my first impression of them is that the sole won't last very long. Its kind of waxy and gets dark by picking up tar from the road also cat hair and other stuff and I've worn them out only once. They are comfortable though. About size I'd recommend measuring your sole in inches or cm and buying the corresponding size. I wear size 9 US and got an 8.5 for these, they're a perfect fit.