I've been a loyal Frye wearer for at least 7 years, and owned other Melissas, Veronica, Olive, Carson, Dara, Campus and some others. While I'm not a shoe and leather goods aficionado, my last two Frye purchases (including these) have been major disappointments. When I received these, they came in the notorious matte black box instead of the usual white glossy box. Upon unboxing, they smelled great, the gray color (Smoke) was really lovely, and the leather on the shaft was nice and soft as expected. With some difficulty and straining, I was able to pull these on. Yes, the ankle is very tight and so is the toebox. I bought an 8 and am a true 8, but have rather narrow feet and narrow calves/ankles. These fit just fine length-wise. Upon closer inspection, I was really disappointed by the quality of these boots. They're acceptable but not for Frye. Maybe Steve Madden? Or some shady "Boot Outlet" you'd drive by in the midwest where boots are "buy 1 get 2 free." The sole and heel are simply egregious. Those of you who have worn Fryes know that there are traditionally metal cobblers' pegs that run along both sides of the arch, something these are clearly missing. I own the Campus boots as well, and the "lug" bottom on these is not rubbery, grippy, or anything representing a "lug" bottom except the patterning. On these boots they feel more like a sad hard plastic (think Rubbermaid plastic totes). Even worse than the lug patterning though, is the heel. As my boyfriend (a more seasoned Frye wearer) said: "they look like outlet heels." The heel of a Frye boot should be a smooth stacked heel of good quality leather and polished to a semi-gloss when new. Smooth and heavy/dense to the touch. These looked like someone took a stack of beef jerky, half-heartedly squeezed them in a stack, and cut the stack with a dull knife. There's not polish to them, they look haggard and poorly cut, their density is on par with the budget line of Penguin Classics at Barnes & Noble, and are rough to the touch. The heels look like someone forgot to finish them, at the very least. Less major complaints: I understand that there is natural variation in leather, and it can be beautiful (this is the case in my other Frye boots, and they're beautiful). But the variation in the color on these boots isn't due to natural variation in the leather--it looks like someone took a 99 cent paintbrush from Home Depot and slapped some dye on these in one runny, thin coat. It's streaky and cheap looking. I always treat my boots with Frye's leather conditioner and waterproofing spray, so it doesn't bother me so much (they're much darker now and the weird dye pattern isn't really visible), but if you plan to wear these without treating them, beware the 3rd grade art project level of precision. My last and least concerning gripe: the little Frye logo buttons on the pulls look cheap. They appear to be metal, but might as well be plastic. The Frye logo and surrounding print look like someone took a rubber stamp and stamped too hard, smearing all the font. The distressing/weathering of the buttons looks hackish and overly done (think Hobby Lobby "vintage"). I don't like branding and logos being overly present in any case, so I'm glad these buttons are small but I wish they had stuck to well-chiseled, durable metal hardware. Remember the brushed metal Frye rivets that were flat and just had the double F? I wish these tacky shiny buttons were those instead. These look Michael Kors-level flash with no quality. On a positive note, the calves are really well-shaped for those with narrower calves (gaping riding boots--no thanks) and are nice and tall, and look quite elegant from a distance. Today is my second day wearing them and they are already feeling a little more comfortable/broken in, and the leather lining inside is nice and soft. The pulls seem well stitched and sturdy (you'll need them to get these boots on the first few times), but I am skeptical and will see if they hold up. I'm still hoping these will wear reasonably well and look better with age (as they should), but I suspect I will need to get them resoled much sooner than other Fryes, and I will be relieved to do so and get a decent quality sole put on. And yes, I could just buy the Made in America line, but why aren't Fryes made in America anymore? Or at least made in Mexico but with the same standards? I like my Campus boot, but a girl can't just wear square toed everything all the time. Frye, I beg of you--go back to making things in America and done well. No more flashy trashy aluminum hardware and plastic soles. I don't mind the $400+ price tag if I'm buying real Fryes that I can wear out in the field, around the office, and everywhere in between, but if this is what Frye has become, I'm better off buying some made in China garbage I'll trash remorselessly in a few months.
