I have several pair of Frye boots and the Carson are by far my favorite (I have them in the shortie, pull on and oxford). I have the Carson shortie in both dark brown and cognac and I wear them all the time. The leather uppers and sole are sturdy but also soft and super flexible. Feels like I'm wearing really good looking slippers. I've walked all over town in these.  My normal size is a 6.5 and all the Carson's I have are size 6 and fit beautifully.  Since I love my two other shorties and get so much use out of them, I decided to try them in the vintage black, also in size 6.  However I returned them because the leather was more stiff and the were so big that my foot slipped around. Maybe the regular black leather might have been a better choice, but I've decided to stick with my browns for now.