Been updating some footwear recently and bought some haix British army boots, lightly used from eBay, which will be my winter/muddy wet boots.
Ive only wacked some of my own used drscholls in them and tried them on at home so far, but damn they seem good.
Sizing...
Im officially a size 8, but not many shoes are comfy at that size. Running trainers seem mostly good at 8.5, boots I generally go for 9 now. I like toe room both length wise and width wise.
The problem with getting 9s in leather walking boots is that I find the foot/heel doesn't hold. In a size 8 it does hold, but my toes are squeezed.
I got size 9M(also available in W)
With these they, at first, seem great. Loads of toe room, good foot/heel hold thanks to the innovative, if not unorthodox, lacing system. At the ankle section there are D rings which snap shut and lock the laces to that point. Then theres options like a D ring on the tongue and a loop on the back so you can wrap the laces around the whole boot.
Id say the sizing is more traditional than most boots nowdays I've tried, which seem to have become smaller.
So if you like a tighter fit, go for your size, looser, go for a size up and adjust with insoles and lacing. The mediums are fairly wide.
For comparison, I had size 8M altberg defenders which were loose on heel/foot, squeezed my toes and were a tad short.
Details...
They feel strong and tough, but do have an easy flex on the forefoot. Not so great if you like a stiff front section for toeing? uphill, but good for a natural roll, foot flex and long distance comfort(too stiff and I find my feet atrophy a bit).
The rubber Rand comes up high on the toes and runs all the way around.
I think they'll last.
This is early days so I haven't tested their performance, waterproofing or durability. I'll return with updates after summer when the weather gets rough.
I hope this helps for people considering grabbing an army boots bargain from eBay, atleast with the quality, lacing, details and fit/sizing.