It seems you have your answer! The leather on those boots is outrageous, isn't it? And what a deal.

I'm quite impressed with this color. I've been trying to figure out how to wear a lighter color boot with my dark hair, but it never feels right on me. Maybe I just need to adjust my eye for myself - I love this color on you!

I love the boots on you, Kari! I hope you can keep them.

They are without a doubt, 100% fab, Kari! I love the color, the way they scrunch on you and the shape of the foot. And the price? OMG. Home run!

I guess we have made your decision for you, Kari

Not sure how I'm doubling up yet - but definitely not black!

These get my yes vote. I have other styles of Frye and all required a break in time period. After that, they fit like a charm.

LOVE THEM!!! I don't know why you would, but if you decide you don't like them, please don't return them... send them to me!!!! It'd take all my Christmas money, but it'd be so worth it.... haha!

Okay, I am definitely keeping them. I wore them around all day, and they are incredibly comfortable, and they are getting easier to slip on. How much I love them, plus Maya's point about boot season being year-round in Seattle, and also the 50% price makes it pretty hard to think about sending them back.

I never thought I'd say this, but I am a Frye girl!

I also just picked up the Nine West Cleeos in a pretty red chestnut color, which are also quite comfortable, though interestingly I have the exact same problem with my instep being too high/large and making it difficult to initially pull on the boots. I've never run into this issue before. So strange.

Kari, you would love the fit of my Via Spiga boots. The instep is so high it's actually rather awkward on me. There is nothing to fill out all that space so the material kind of collapses if I bend my foot a certain way.

I guess you can't please everyone huh?

Glad you're keeping the Rory boots though. They're super on you.

It's so funny. I never thought of the top part of my foot as being as tough to fit as my calf size. Maya, the other weird thing is that though my foot fills out my boots fine, the ankles are ALWAYS big and baggy, even on my best fitting boots. In a way the slouchy boots are a relief because the ankle is supposed to wrinkle!

The ankles are always baggy on me too Kari. After my experience with the Stuart Weitzman boots, though, I can be at peace with that. Baggy ankles let my foot flex normally. Sleek, snug ankles result in chafing

Such a bummer. (But you still have your non-OTK Stuart Weitzmans, right?)
That's a good point. Though my feet are not the pickiest, blistering and chafing around the back of my ankle tends to be my biggest problem area.

Kari - interesting about the ankle fit. I love those boots on you.

The reason I sent my Rorys back was the ankle was very fitted on me, and the slouchy part seemed to accentuate it even more. You don't have a photo of you in the boots straight on, so I can't see if it's doing the same thing on you, but it doesn't look like it is.

I really loved those boots - the leather is awesome - but I just didn't like the way they looked. Even though I'm wearing jeans, I think you can see what I'm talking about in the picture.

Surprisingly, I actually was able to pull the boots up all the way over tights but not jeans (it was pretty tight, though - not an eight of an inch to spare, and a struggle to get them off.) I thought they looked very sleek that way (at the top) but the ankle thing still bugged me! I decided for the price (full price when I tried them) it was too much not to love them 100%.

I was tempted to reorder now that they're on sale on 6pm, but I think they just are not meant to be for me. I think I need boots that are stiffer, like the Rockports - which give a straighter line. I've got the Lyme Grass from Clark's coming soon, so hopefully those will work out!

Tarzy, are those the Rockport Ainly boots in the second pic? The same ones Kari has?

Traci - yep! Same ones! Very basic boot, but fits a wider calf beautifully!

Oh, those Rockport Ainlys are the best. Tara, you really won brownie points when you recommended them to me.

I actually don't think that your Fryes looked funny on your foot, but for the cost I think they do need to be something that you will love. Mine are tight when I'm trying to slide my foot in, but the ankle is still pretty roomy once they are in all the way. The only thing is that the front & back part of the shaft isn't as soft and collapsible as the top part due to the seam, so I pull the folds of the boot around a bit until I like the way that they fall. The front view on one foot in this picture pretty accurately shows how they look.

They are definitely stretching out a bit with each wear, and my mom suggested wrapping a plastic bag around my foot when I'm sliding them in to minimize the friction - that helped quite a bit, particularly with jeans.

I think your calves must be smaller than mine - there is no way, even with tights on, that I could pull them all the way up!