Red Wing Heritage Womens Iron Ranger-W Boot

My 4-year-old Madewell combat boots were finally coming apart, and I'd heard great things about Red Wing—Goodyear welts, solid build, the whole deal. I randomly walked into a local store and instantly fell in love with the Iron Rangers. Also: they look so much better in person than online. The photos always felt a little “Victorian” to me, but in real life (especially the black pair) they're modern, sleek, and honestly kind of sexy. Now for sizing, because I know that's what everyone stresses about. I have narrow feet, long toes, and flat feet (not a high arch). I'm usually a 6.5 in flats (no socks) and a 7 in most sneakers and boots. The store only had a 7, I tried them on, they felt perfect, and I bought them on the spot. Then I made the mistake of going down a Reddit rabbit hole where everyone insists you have to size down a half to a full size because “leather stretches.” I started doubting myself, so I went back to the store. After they scanned my feet, they recommended a 6.5, so I tried that size on with my Bombas wool socks… and absolutely not. They were so tight I couldn't stand in them for more than a couple minutes. My heels didn't feel like they could fully settle in, and my toes had basically no wiggle room. So my takeaway: if you're hovering between sizes and you have a similar foot shape, don't automatically size down just because the internet says so. Get the size that feels good out of the box. And honestly, I'm not sure I fully buy the whole “breaking them in” argument—most women aren't wearing the same boots every single day long enough to suffer through a painful break-in period.