Original Penguin Men's Merle Boot

After receiving my first pair of Original Penguin fashion sneakers close to 10 years ago, I've been a big fan of the brand. They're normally durable and last for years, look very nice without being gaudy or flashy, and are always priced pretty great for the overall value. Whenever I need new shoes, I try to look at other brands first, but always end up buying Penguins.All that being said, I have been somewhat disappointed with these boots. I should preface my opinions with the fact that they were my first pair of fashion boots, so perhaps I was not knowledgeable enough about certain things when making my purchase decision, but here are my thoughts.First is looks. I got the tan/ dark brown version (which doesn't appear to be available any more), and I think they look absolutely amazing. Classy design, not overly flashy, and the wooden heel insert makes for a great accent. Pretty characteristic of Penguin shoes. I love the way they look, and while I don't really get anyone going out of there way to tell me they look great, most people who have commented say they look fantastic as well. I will say, however, that it seems like they would get scuffed if all I did was kick a pillow. They get marked up and scratched very easily, so be careful if your heart will sink like mine every time that happens. Build quality also feels great.Second is size and fit. I normally wear size 8.5 or sometimes 9 sneakers, and I think I remember reading the boots are a bit larger than their listed size, so I got a size 8. Even with the smaller size, they still feel a bit loose; I have to wear thick socks with them to mitigate slipping around on my foot, and even then they still become loose sometimes. The fit of the shaft is also, in my opinion, way too large. I have to lace the boots as tight as possible to be comfortable (I should also note that one of the laces broke because of this). On a related note, as you would expect the new leather is very rigid and the back of the shaft ate into my calf for a long time. Got better with time after breaking in, but was very uncomfortable. Essentially the fit means that I can't wear my boots all day, only for a few hours and definitely not if I intend to be walking around a lot.One other note that's not particularly related to the boots themselves is a customer support experience I had. I was moving to Amsterdam when I bought these and was concerned about waterproofing them. How you waterproof a boot depends on how the leather was tanned, so I emailed Penguin to find out. I got an email back saying they would find out and let me know, but I never heard back. Not a huge deal or a bad experience per se, and I never wore the boots enough (see above in fit) or in conditions to really need waterproofing, but still, disappointed I was forgotten about.

My first Penguin product.These boots seem to be well made. From the looks of the shoes it is top quality leather all the way around. The soles are a rubber material on top of leather "glued/bonded". The heels are a rubber/leather/rubber compound held into place with brass nails. The heels will need to be monitored for wear as the brass nails may end up scratching hardwood floors. Back in the day all quality shoes were made with nails, I expect no less from these by the look of the craftsmanship. I am not a cobbler nor have I ever played one on TV, but they seem to be made well enough that resoling should not be a problem when needed. I expect to get many years of life from these shoes, I have other leather shoes and we all know that a good quality pair of leather shoes could possibly last a life time. Once leather gets broke in there is no other shoe as comfortable. 4 stars because I have not had these long enough to attest the the overall quality.Based on reviewer recommendations, which were to order a size and a half smaller, I chose to go one size down and these shoes fit perfectly.1. Would by again2. Order a hole size smaller3. Would recommend to a friend

I purchased these shoes in Shitake, and they resemble a suede desert boot. The wooden heel and light colored stitching are very attractive features, as is the heel pull tab. They look fantastic with jeans and are versatile enough to go well with casual pants in a wide variety of colors. I love the style of these boots and have received many compliments on them. I even bought a pair as a birthday gift for a friend because he liked them so much.The size runs a touch large. Though I wear a size 8 in other shoes, my heel does not stay firmly planted in this this size 8 unless I wear a thicker sock and tighten the laces. It's a minor issue: the slight rubbing does not irritate my heel, and I am still quite comfortable in loosely tied laces and thin socks.The rubber sole has enough spring for all day wear, including walking long distance on pavement. Just note that the sole is flat, without a grooved tread, so it may not grip on a slippery surface. Personally, I wouldn't wear these boots in the rain because I want to keep them looking good for many seasons to come.

These are very stylish boots. I saw them in-store at first and found them to be too big. I usually wear a size 10. I decided to order a size 9, which felt tight for a week but after gradual wearing in, now feel they could be too big. As crazy as it might sound, it might be better to buy as much as 1.5 sizes smaller than your shoe size and really grow into them. I would definitely suggest trying them in-store before purchasing them online. Alternatively purchase a few sizes online and return those that don't fit.My main issue with them is that the heel feels fairly wide and thus the fit isn't as snug as I'd like it to be. That said, I haven't found many boots that I've liked stylistically and the fit isn't so bad that I wouldn't get them again. I'm also flat footed so the only shoes that ever really feel comfortable for me are generally rubber soled cushioned ones.

I usually wear a 9.5-10.0 US Men's, and in fact a favorite pair of dress shoes I bought a little snug at 9.5 wore in perfectly. I decided to buy a 9.5 for this shoe to achieve the same effect, but found them a "good size" from the get-go, which of course means they're a little big now. I decided to roll with them anyway, but I would definitely recommend at least a 0.5 size smaller, maybe a full size.Great all around shoes, pretty comfortable and I get lots of compliments on the look and high-top style. I'll probably buy an arch support insole because I find my arch hurts a little after wearing and walking all day.

very heavy