These boots are totally cool. They go up to my mid calf, which is a bit shorter than I expected. They aren't particularly soft inside, so I think that its better to get a bit smaller than a bit larger. Having a bit of extra room in the toe causes my toes to bump around a bit, so I put some socks in there. I did get a 9 and I'm an 8.5, but it's not a dealbreaker. It's not a personal issue for me, but I thought it was said that these boots were 'Vegie'? Not sure if I'm missing some boot-slang here, but they are definitely NOT vegan shoes. The fur lining is real (to my knowledge) and dogs will love your shoes. I absolutely love that, but it wasn't in the description and it's something that you should probably know. The platform is very solid and is holding up well. The material had no defects and it is exactly as advertised.