text: These shoes really deserve 5 stars, except they're just too big.. I read many reviews, some advising me to buy a half size down, some saying a whole size down. I usually wear size 12, so I opted for the 11.5, thinking it would be better to get some a little too big than a little to small. Well, I was wrong! The 11.5 was still somewhat too big, to my dismay. Instead of returning, I purchased some cheap insoles to tighten the fit a little. The moral of the story is: **buy a whole size smaller than your usual shoes.***<br /><br />Otherwise, these are fantastic. This slightly-hipster-yet-still-manly boot looks great with both jeans and khakis, making them perfect for fall and winter wear on my campus. The leather (I got Beeswax) smells amazing (and that hasn't changed after several wears.) These will be my go-to shoes when an occasion requires something nicer than my Nikes, but more casual than black dress shoes.