Abilene Women's Cowhide Leather J-Toe Boots - Western Style Brown Boots for Country Riding, Dancing & Casual Outfits

I was very excited to receive these boots. The Abilene brand is very sentimental to me. My first pair of quality boots were Abilene (I was a drum majorette back in the day, high stepping 2+ mile-long parades in a beautiful black pair of Abilene cowboy boots). They were my favorite, very comfortable, very durable. Sadly, I don’t have that specific pair any longer. However i decided it was time to buy another pair of cowboy boots. I also felt that I wanted to support something completely American made whenever possible leading me back to this brand. I didn’t want Ariat or Justin. I instantly gravitated to the Abilene brand. I wanted a versatile sturdy pair, in a normal color, traditional toe. I have some other boots, but I promised myself the next pair of nice cowboy boots would be Abilene.I did my homework before ordering. I had attempted to shop local before ordering & tried multiple brands including Abilene in-person at a few reputable & popular western stores, in addition to measuring my foot. The Abilenes that I tried in-store felt very good & accommodating. So did the Ariat brand models that I tried. All of them across the board fit perfectly in a size 9.5 standard width. The Abilene model tried locally was simply not the color I wanted, leading me to order this model on Amazon. They arrived yesterday late afternoon. This pair is a lot darker & mottled looking, vs what was pictured. But despite being more expensive vs local & other Amazon sellers with different color/toe variations, it was still ok/nice…it would still be versatile. Then I unfortunately tried them on.These arrived late afternoon yesterday. I carefully unpackaged them & excitedly grabbed a pair of boots socks to try them out.I put them on & instantly knew I had made a mistake. They did not feel balanced or comfortable like what I had tried on in the store. These squeezed & put uncomfortable pressure on my foot, especially the foot that has some scars from previous surgeries. The heel did not feel supportive vs other Abilene & Ariat boots I had tried in-person. They were very tight in width, almost narrow. I know I could take them to the boot store & have them stretched but I just paid $172 + tax & I knew instantly that I would not be able to wear them or walk in them for any length of time. They felt painful & unsteady whereas the other boots I tried locally in the same size/width were very comfortable/sturdy when standing. The local offerings were simply not the color I had been looking for unless I bought a different brand (ahem Ariat). So I packaged these up first thing this morning just how they arrived & started the return process. I provided my honest return reason. It said that I would be charged for shipping. That was after these boots were priced significantly higher vs other Abilene boots available through various Amazon sellers, as well as locally. These are nothing special, just an average pair of brown J toe leather cowboy boots that look far nicer in the photos vs in-person.I really wish that the seller & and/or Amazon would be upfront with the cost of returning when ordering because you cannot order directly from Abilene boots, local stores do not stock Abilene in any variety or capacity so now I’m afraid to order a different model here, when I can just purchase a pair of Ariat or Justin locally for less money in the style/color I want (I live in Texas so buying a pair of boots locally is not exactly difficult task unless you are trying to purchase the Abilene brand). Most importantly, I’ll know what I’m getting. I’m trying to think about positives with the fact that returns are accepted in any capacity (which was advertised) but if you can’t depend on actual measurements & quality standards for a supposedly reputable brand, (allowing you to order the proper size & fit), then it becomes a crapshoot & you will pay money if you guess/bet incorrectly. Order these at your own risk.