Chelsea Boot (Men)

I once owed a pair of Blunnies (that's the colloquial name in Australia) thanks to my dearest friend. It was back in 2000 and she said, "If you ever want a perfect shoe for snow, for rain or just walking you have to try these." I did and she was right. I couldn't take them off. Love wasn't the word for me with these, it was beyond that. I became a Blundee-phile, telling people about them like it was a religion. My zest wasn't to be silenced until 6 years later when they started to hurt after about 4 hours of wearing them (never took them off until bedtime). I panicked, I thought that they finally shrunk from all the years of water I walked through! But the sad truth was I'd gained weight. I turned my health around in a good way and part of that process was quitting smoking. I was pretty upset. "Buy a new Pair" was what everyone was saying but I had no idea what my size was and was doing too much traveling to deal with a try and send back process. So I eventually switched to tennis shoes until 9 years later. I took the plunge on this pair of Blundstones. With a racing heart of excitement. I wanted everything to be perfect. I had shed the excess weight and had more confidence and wasn't traveling. I read every review diligently (which were all over the place). Some said too big, others too small, too light, too heavy; so I took the plunge and and ordered my size up a half. To my wonderful surprise and like a scene out of Cinderella, I put my two fingers through the two straps put my foot in and heard that sound-- my heel locked in place perfectly and no pinch at the toe. I was elated. They Fit. It was like finding an old friend that I thought had died. My partner was so blown away by how they looked under Jeans that he wouldn't stop talking about the "new coolest shoe he'd ever seen" So I ordered him a pair - the suede tops -- mostly to quiet him down. I keep mine on for 12 and 13 thirteen hours at a time. They are still as comfortable as ever and they come with a spare set of insoles to tighten you up if you happen to have a thinner pair of socks on. The waterproof part still blows my mind, mostly because of the wax on the leather and you get a package of it to toss on if you feel that they've had a good water workout. Warm, Dry, Comfortable, Soft, Durable, Slip-resistant, water resistant, Snow capable, Dress up all the way to Suit and dress down to jeans. You will become a Blunee-phile once you get that first good fit. The prices today are actually better than the first pair I bought and the Nordstrom's first class return service makes it easy to find the perfect size.

First off, the boots were MUCH lighter in weight then my old boots, and felt cheaper. The soles must be what is different, but my old boots soles weren't the greatest either: after 7 years, they cracked and crumbled. The opening is also much more narrow/tight. I could BARELY get my foot in, those with a high arch will be completely SOL on this boot (I do not have a high arch), I had to have my husband pull the boot off for me, and it took a lot of effort. I even went up a size hoping it would fix the problem, and ended up returning them as well. :(