"I was pleasantly surprised at how nice these boots are when I opened the box! They appear to be good quality boots. I am 5'5" tall and not an extremely large or hefty girl; I wear a size 10/12 in pants, but I do have athletic (16") calves from years of riding and sports. Finally! A boot for us girls with larger calves. It is virtually impossible to find nice, higher-heeled, dressy boots with a wide calf. Unfortunately I am going to have to send these back for a 1/2 size up. The 8 is just a tad too short in length to be comfortable. I have never worn an 8 1/2 in my life. Just for reference, I wear a 7 1/2 in Nine West and Stuart Weitzman and an 8 in Calvin Klein and Micheal Kors. If you do have larger calves, go for it! You will love these. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is the in accurate sizing."