Caribou Royal Waterproof Boot (Men)

They don’t have the shoe in store so I can’t try before buy. The shoe itself feels and looks very high quality. Very bulky duck boot style, but surprisingly light and agile. It seems durable and rugged with a premium flare. The neoprene lining is soft and warm yet breathable and stretchy. I initially bought the 9.5 and while the sides of my feet and shins felt snug, my toes and heel had way more wiggle room than I was comfortable with. My foot was sliding while walking. I decided to order the 9 and see how that felt ; my foot ended up even more snug on the sides, but there’s still a slight wiggle in my toes and a hint of heel movement. I’m already two transactions in and don’t want to go through another transaction to try the 8.5, seeing how much more snug the sides got in half a size down they may end up too tight, I’ve never had to size down that much. Overall it is a great shoe, it is just not true to size for me. If I could go back I may size down to 8.5, but when you’re paying over $200 for shoes it shouldn’t be this far off. I’m nearly $500 invested and need to return a pair. The width dimension seems okay but I think there’s a flaw in the heel to toe measurement. I have other Sorel shoes I love, so I’m still a loyal brand follower.