Original Series Water Resistant Chelsea Boot

This is my first pair of Blundstones, and they are truly the best boots I’ve ever owned. I got the black leather and they look exactly as pictured, a rustic dark grey. I have back and knee pain so lightweight shoes are a must. These are SO LIGHT and comfortable I don’t even notice I am wearing them. I was afraid they would be heavy and clunky like Dr. Martens, but they’re not. I have high arches, and these don’t have much arch support, so I will be adding my own underneath the removable liner. Finding the right size and actually getting your foot in the small hole at first is a crazy experience!! But definitely worth it in the end. Detailed sizing info: In boots (Frye) I am always a 6.5, in athletic lace up shoes (ASICS, Converse, North Face, Keen) I am a 7, and sandals a 6 (chacos). In the Blundstones I had no idea what to get so I ordered 6, 6.5, and 7. I traced my left foot on paper (my biggest foot) and it was 9 inches from big toe to heel. According to blundstone website I would be a 7, but they were HUGE. The 6 and 6.5 was the perfect length, with a bit of toe wiggle room and no toes hitting the shoe. They are comfortably snug across the top of my foot with a medium weight boot sock, a tad bit looser with a thin sock. I live in Southern California and won’t be wearing these with a super thick sock. If I wanted to wear a winter sock, they would be way too tight. I measured every part of the shoe with a fabric ruler and the 6 and 6.5 were exactly the same EXCEPT for the width of the opening. The front top fabric across the V stitching was a 1/2 inch smaller on the 6, making it much harder to slide the foot in and nearly impossible to take off. I ended up keeping the 6.5 simply because I want an easier on/off experience. If you have wide feet, I would suggest the half size. The first time I put the 6 and 6.5 on, omg...I panicked and was so scared because I couldn’t get them off!!! I was sweating and pulling and it wouldn’t budge. I had to calm down and walk around and try again. After 5 times taking the 6.5 on and off, the elastic stretched and now it’s super easy. These are my everyday shoes now, and they look cute with every outfit. They feel like a dream, don’t rub weird anywhere, and they only thing that needed to break in was the opening. If you’re willing to invest some time and effort into getting the right size and putting up with a narrow opening at first, GET THESE. They are perfect, well made, and worth the high price tag.