I had to break these in but I figured I would. I took my time and wore thick wool socks with them, and only wore them in the house a small amount of time at first and they seemed tight with the heavy sock on of course! Then thinner socks and more time, then thinner socks and outdoors! Soon they fit like a glove! I'm so glad I did this because I have foot problems. I have high arches and very wide feet. I have plantar fasciitis, my ankles swell a lot. I bought these for a wedding outside in AZ in the fall but the weather would still be fairly warm and it would be a long day on a ranch. They were perfect! So perfect that This 64 year old grandma danced in these shoes later that evening at her grandaughter's wedding! They got a bit wet the next day on a hike but I creamed them up. Hopefully they will be fine. My favorite Boots!I have been looking for a good short/ankle boot for a while. This combines a beautiful style with very high quality. They do run a bit small. I ordered my regular size (US 8 - 8.5) and had to exchange for next size up.UPDATE:After receiving the next size (US 9 - 9.5), I discovered they were too big. I've had this problem before with other European sized shoes, I always end up feeling like I'm in between a 39 and 40. However, I went back to my original boots, the 8 - 8.5 size I normally wear, and while they were tight to begin with... they are slowly starting to loosen up and feel very comfortable as with most genuine leather shoes. I was in such a hurry to fall in love with them, I think I forgot about that process it sometimes can take. After two days of wearing them even with extensive walking around town, I can honestly say they fit like a glove (foot glove?) and I'm very happy with them. No pain or rubbing like with a lot of new shoes! Just keep that in mind, they may feel a bit tight at first, but they will soften and give after a bit of wear. You should be able to tell when trying them on if it's absolutely too tight or that borderline tight where you can break them in.The first pair I received were two very different colors otherwise I would give theses boots a 5 star rating. Returning them was easy, but I was a little disappointed about waiting. That said, they are beautiful, very well made, and comfortable. I usually wear an 8 1/2, and sometimes an 8, but I needed a 9 in these. I usually only wear a 9 in athletic shoes. To break them in, I recommend wearing at least a medium weight sock. After they were broken in, I can easily wear them with or without socks. I know I'll be wearing these for years to come. Love them!Beautiful shoes - I have only marked them down as I ordered the midnight blue colour, however when they arrived they were so dark they are basically black and you can't see the embroidery detail without looking very closely.I read the other reviews and ordered a size up - the length is good, they are a bit tight across the arch but I'm sure they will wear in nicely. Looking forward to wearing them for winter (and hoping desperately they will fade a bit, or a lot)!!Fits nicely. Good quality. Very nice looking. Very satisfied.These are beautiful and very comfy! The stitching makes these boots so unique and I got multiple compliments the first day that I wore them. They do run small, since I am usually a 10-10.5/41 but I ordered the 42 and it fit perfectly. The toe box does narrow to a point as all Western boots do, but they are still very comfortable. The heel is not so high as to tip you onto the balls of your feet all day. Bravo, Taos!I took a chance and ordered these through a warehouse deal and I'm so happy I did! I LOVE them! They're cute and comfortable. I tried to wear them with a heel sock but that didn't work so I used ankle socks that had a little thickness to them and they were perfect. When I stepped with the thin heel sock on I could feel the top of the boot dig in to my foot with the thicker sock it helped tremendously. I really love the design and look forward to ordering more colors!Very nice. I order a size larger than usual so they fit perfectly. (Ordered the 9/40s and I'm usually an 8.5/39.) I bought my pair from the warehouse deals and the price was right. I wouldn't have paid full price for these, but I'm sure others would. They are pretty.