I needed a solid year-round boot that can be worn at work, home, or out for the evening and I definitely found it. The 6" height is good for ankle protection and not too hot in warm weather. The vbar is surprisingly good in almost all scenarios and cleans up easy for coming inside. The Wickett and Craig double stuffed buck brown leather is tough as nails, crazy resilient, and seriously good looking and keeps getting better. Break-in was a challenge at first, but after the leather started breaking in, it just keeps getting more comfortable. It's still breaking in after 6 months of daily wear and will probably continue to soften and form for a while yet. These boots will be on my feet for a very long time.
I followed Nicks' printable sizing guide. Simple as that. It worked perfect for me. I also spent a lot of time reading up forums and posts about how others were sized, but ultimately the sizing guide was all I needed.
Simple and easy, once I had an idea of what I was looking at. I probably don't want to know how many hours I spent researching all of the elements of boots, boot making, materials, processes, etc before I actually felt like an informed buyer. I'm glad I spent that time because I was able to really dial in and get the right configuration for me.