text: I like these boots. I really do. I am giving this three stars for the quality of materials and craftmanship, and as a fair &#34;buyer beware&#34; rating.<br /><br />Here's the story (summary of rating at bottom):<br /><br />I've been wearing Sketcher boots for 10-12 years. Every year I would just go to a shoe store and buy the same exact pair in the closest to a 10 they had.<br />However, I've since gotten out of school and into the job world and needed something a little more grown-up that I can wear for business/casual affairs. Additionally, this Summer I was traveling for my overdue honeymoon, where we would be walking a lot around various parts of Europe. I wanted new boots that were casual enough to walk all day in them, but classy enough that it wouldn't scream &#34;I'm a tourist.&#34; to every single European around us.<br /><br />So, about 3 weeks before we left I ordered one pair. They were extremely uncomfortable when laced up properly (and highly suggest re-lacing them to your own preference, as the default is bewildering). I needed to get a screw driver so that I could open up one of the parts of the top half for lacing as it had been shipped bent down. I could only wear them for about an hour walking before the balls of my feet hurt (too hard). They were also a tad narrow, but aren't/weren't available for a wider fitting (at time of purchase and this review). Additionally, while lacing them up on my third day, a minor amount of tension when lacing the top part was enough to snap one of the thingamabobs (I'm blanking on the term for the part where you lace by wrapping around rather than a simple eyelet) and send it flying. I was definitely not pulling hard or at a weird angle. The quality of metal was extremely brittle. I sent that pair back.<br /><br />I like these boots, and they're in my price range, so I ordered another pair (same size). This pair fit a tad better. Still a little narrow at first. Still painful on the balls of my feet if walking for more than an hour (at first). Material quality is still bad (tiny inconspicuous part of the heel splintered off the first day).<br /><br />I only brought these shoes with me to Europe, where I put 7-10 miles of walking, slipping, and climbing old cobbled stairs.<br />I bought Dr. Scholl inserts that had a sticky substance to grip the heel of the soles of shoes. I didn't need too much padding, but a little would be nice. This was a mistake as when I tried pulling the inserts out, it completely ripped up the sole of the shoe. The sticky part is not that sticky, and I didn't pull that hard. The sole just has next to nothing to keep it there. Underneath the cloth of the sole is about an eighth or quarter inch of cheap foam. Obviously soles aren't made to have something pull up on them, but at the same time, should be constructed in such a way that they can withstand a small amount of force before being ripped out.<br /><br />After walking all day in them in an abnormally hot Summer in Europe, my socks at the end of the day stink and not a usual foot stink, something distinctly different as evidenced by the yellow/tan stains left on them by the inside of the boots. I sweat a lot, though, and the shoes did go through 8-10 hours of walking, climbing, and whatnot around Europe.<br /><br />Another problematic aspect of these boots is the lack of traction of the front outsole. Anything slightly smooth is a serious hazard. I would have seriously injured my self going down some stairs at the apartment I was staying at in Paris if I hadn't been able to catch both handrails. I wasn't even going fast down the stairs; just stepped down and foot slipped completely off the step. Even now that that part of the shoe is fairly worn, I still take extra caution walking on anything slippery or going up/down stairs, as they still slip like bowling shoes.<br /><br />Which is another aspect of poor quality of these boots. The outersole will get destroyed after a 30 minute walk. They will not look pristine ever again. These boots will need replacing/repairing often if you walk every day on concrete or other hard, scratchy surfaces.<br /><br />Additionally, these are not great for going through airport security. They take forever to lace up properly, and forever to take them off. When I left from Spain, I had to take them off twice due to random double security check. If you're going on a plane, start unlacing them before entering the security line.<br /><br />Those are the negatives. There's a lot of negatives. Those are buyer beware to know what to expect.<br /><br />However there are multiple pros:<br />1. They look awesome. They look fashionable. I can wear these with nice jeans, khakis, and possibly a suit (I don't wear suits often, so I haven't checked, chances are though that if the situation warrants me wearing a full suit, I will at least look in a mirror with them on before reverting to standard dress shoes). They look a tad odd if I'm wearing worn out jeans. As such, they're perfect for people who prefer dressing above torn, acid-wash jeans and a wife-beater, even if that elevated level is just darker jeans and a black t-shirt. They also go great with khakis for business casual occasions. They look exceedingly good for the price-range they're in (also, keep a watch on prices as they fluctuate wildly I was able to save $30 *because* I returned the first pair and bought another). They are narrow for boots (at least compared to my Sketchers), so avoid baggy pants, as you'll look more like MC Hammer with parachute pants, and your pants will easily go under the heel of the boot, which is the only place that offers traction.<br />2. After about a week and a half of uncomfortableness, they started breaking in nicely. I had to take them off eventually during the plane over to London (owned and worn already for 4/5 days), and I was a little worried how the rest of my honeymoon was going to go after my second day in Paris and everything in my feet throbbed. However, midway through the trip I noticed my feet hurt less despite doing more (and everyone's feet will hurt after 10 miles of walking in a day if normally you're lucky to manage that distance in a month). However, my feet only hurt a little the last half of my trip and they were comfortable enough to not take them off or loosen lacing during the long trip home (8 hour flight, 4 hour connection, 3 hour flight, 1 hour drive home)<br />3. The quality of the outside leather is noticeably better than the insole, outersole, heel, and eyelets. Despite being drug through mud, rain, and scuffed against various things, there's only one or two spots on the main part of the shoes that are permanently scuffed (and only in a way that I, myself, notice when cleaning them). I've also put them through several treatments of a Dr. Martens leather conditioner.<br />4. They offer fairly decent arch support (if you need it). The Dr. Scholl inserts I bought came with arch support, but I tore those off because the boot just needed a little more padding and the additional arch support was just ridiculous. Either I broke the insole in or I got used to the boots, because I don't need the inserts anymore. I'm prone to get shin splints if I walk too much, but didn't have a problem during my trip.<br /><br />Regarding Fitting:<br />When I wore the Sketchers, I could buy anywhere from a 9.5 to 11.5 and be comfortable. I measured my own foot when I decided Amazon might be the better place to find shoes that align with my personal tastes, which 95% of shoe stores can't offer me. When I measured, my feet somewhere between 9.5 and 10, and also that I should probably consider Wide fittings (E). I ordered the 10(D)'s because I figured I could easily Jerry-rig a solution if they were in fact too big, and these did not come in E sizing at the time of purchase (if ever). The first pair were indeed too big, but also far too narrow for comfort during prolonged wear (feet were begging to be released from the vice after going to the movies). This led me to believe that getting them in a 9.5 would not be a solution. The second pair (10 D again) were not as noticeably too big, and the narrowness wears off when you break them in properly. So, if you're like me and looking at these shoes with an event in mind, buy them early so you can get them to break in.<br /><br />In short:<br />They look good, feel good (when broken in), but probably not the greatest investment unless you are super careful with them. The lack of material quality and craftmanship makes them a quick return/dump if you're not careful or are planning on using them for an everyday active shoe.<br />Despite my three star rating, I will probably be looking to buy these again (probably in Oxblood color).<br />Also keep a watch on prices: The first pair I bought were ~$140. I returned those when the metal snapped on the top half of lacing, and bought another pair for ~$105. This was in the span of a week.<br />I can't possibly give these 5 stars, and I really want to give them 4 (I really do like them, just wish they could be made a tad better), but out of consideration for others, I figured a thorough review of pros and cons and three stars was fair.