Thorogood Women's 9" Waterproof Composite Safety Toe Work Boots for EMS & Wildland Firefighters - Slip Resistant, Comfortable for Long Shifts & Outdoor Adventures

I bought these for wildland fire. I want to love these boots, but my feet and shins have been turned to hamburger; The fit is very strange... the shape of the composite toe cap pushes down on the tops of my feet. If I wear thick socks, my toes are pushed down so much that they will go numb after just an hour of walking. It feels like an anvil is resting on the top of my feet. lol! I do not have thick feet by any means - I'm a small person - and I actually ordered a half size larger than my normal shoe size. To make these work, I removed the insole and have been wearing thinner socks instead. My toes and the top of my foot are no longer being squished down, but now I get blisters on my heels. I also have to tuck my pants into my boots to cushion my shins because the lining of the boots will rub my skin raw if I'm working a sweaty 15 hour shift. I have a love/hate relationship with these boots. They have the features I need to feel safe on the job, but the comfort is just not there. My advice to other buyers: order these EARLY before you need them. Break them in. Try removing the insole before deciding they are too small - chances are they are the proper length and width.I got these for my fire academy class where we had to be in them all day for everything from sitting in classroom to wild land training. I liked them at first, but for hiking and walking a lot, they give me blisters on my heels all the time. They are pretty heavy, which is to be expected. I wore them because I could wear them for EMS calls and Wild Land Fires. I would not take these for any long term wild land fire fighting. I usually wear a 10 or 10.5 and the 10.5 ran a little big in my opinion. They are easy to zip up.Nice fit, got them forn wildland fire. They are stiff ankles so definitely need to be broken in before heading to a fire. Love the lace-in zipper makes for quick boot change.