Wearing impression: as you can see, there's an immediate and steep slope going up the shaft from the toe. One could almost pinch the ridge of the instep. This scared me at first, but soon I found out it's very very easy to put on and take off, the rough inside of the HH is unlike the American rough side we've seen, it's sort of pressed and flattened. The boot cages your foot like a cowboy boot would, 8.5 for me is roomy, I was wearing Wigwam white cotton boot sock, not the thickest but the thickest I'd wear. I could walk with confidence, the boots are light, so it takes getting used to. For a momenet it feels like you are stepping inside a cigarette pack, the HH is dry and paper like, but quite dense at the same time.