I got these used, otherwise I would have returned them. They were essentially brand-new. The craftsmanship is great, the leather quality is great, I like that they're made in the US. I have a very high arch and a narrow foot. The tongue of the boot only opens out like an inch- I couldn't get my foot in them due to my arch. I've never seen a tongue like that- it basically is just there for decoration rather than to offer any adjustment. Rather than try to resell, I slit the tongues along the side stitching open about 3 inches to be able to get my foot in them. That worked. However, as I said, I have a very narrow foot, and they felt like they were cutting off my circulation, they were SO tight. I bought my usual shoe size (8) and have never had to deviate from that size. Additionally, the stitching at the bottom of the tongue is RIGHT where my arch is highest. After days of "leather stretching spray" (which I found out is just isopropyl alcohol and water...) and putting them on for as long as I could stand (maybe only 15 minutes at a time) they have now gotten into a somewhat wearable state. I will concede that they DID stretch out along the sides, but I am still fighting with the stitches along the arch. Because that is stitched, I don't know how much that will stretch upwards. I want to love them. Maybe I will grow to love them as I wear them more. But had I known any of this- that I literally had to cut the leather by 3 inches to get my foot in it- I would not have bought them and I would have returned them had I bought them new. I'm going to keep trying because I have them already, and now can't resell them because I cut the leather. I hope my review helps someone else with a high arch like me- be warned! I was able to make it work, but I wish I didn't have to do that.
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