Le Chameau Saiga Lace-Up Rain Boots - Waterproof (For Women)

Quality: Clearly a high quality rubber boot. The rubber is substantial and supportive, yet supple and not clunky or heavy on the foot, and does not chafe against the leg.

Style: Looks cuter in person than in the photo. The black/pink pair came with a set of fuschia laces in the boots, matching the fuschia trim on the sole. There was also a spare pair of solid black laces, if you want a more discreet look. I believe it's quite stylish either way. The pink laces are attractive (and I'm a professional woman in my early 40s) and I'd wear them around town, but I wouldn't wear them to work. I'd wear the boots using the black laces if going to work. I have large, wide feet and thought I'd look like an NBA player foot in these but they are cut more delicately and are more fitted than I expected and therefore look a little more feminine than expected (bonus, in my book, though I go for comfort first since I have hard to fit feet, etc).

Fit: I ordered 3 pairs of boots in 1 order: The Le Chameau Saiga Lace Up Rain Boots in size 9 Medium, the Le Chameau Liseron Sabotin Rubber Shoes (Rain Shoes) in size 8 Medium and the Blondo Alessa Ankle Boots in size 8.5 Wide. The Saiga's rubber sole was stamped "41" for Euro size 41. But the label said US size 9 (M). The Liseron sole said "40" but the label said US size 7.5 (M). The Blondo was 8.5 W as mentioned. My feet are very wide across the base of the toes and the toes, and normal (narrow by proportion) at the heel, with a high arch. A pain to find a shoe that fits the toe width without falling off the heel, so I often wear Mary Jane style shoes, ankle-strap or thong sandals in the summer, and wide boots in winter. I usually wear an 8.5 W (although it's often loose in the heel), or an 8 W if it's cut large/wide. With that in mind, I could barely get my foot into the Blondo, even though it was the only one of the three pairs that was a legitimate "Wide" width. The Liseron fit surprisingly loosely all around, so I tried it on with a thick wool ragg knit sock, and voila, it fit very well. I was so excited. It's the first time in years I could wear a shoe with a heavy wool sock and not have it either cramping my toes or falling off my heels. I quickly went online and ordered a second pair as backup in case anything should happen to the first pair of Liserons. Then I tried on the Saiga, which was 1 size larger than the Liseron and made by the same manufacturer. Surprisingly, the Saiga in size 9 fit tighter than the Liseron in size 8! The Liseron size 8 is quite roomy and comfy for my wide width foot wearing thick wool socks. The Saiga size 9 just fits my foot with no socks or with a thin sock or stocking, and even then, the edge of my big toe , when I put weight on my foot, bulges out the dark part of the boot (the upper) over the pink rim of the sole. Not enough for someone else to notice, but enough that I worry that may become the point of failure in these waterproof boots. There is sufficient height for my arches. The shaft of the boot is adjustable and I was able to slip into it without untying, and was comfortable, despite my wide-ish calves. The shaft is narrower than the common loose style rain boots but its softness and adjustability make it more comfortable for me than the looser, stiffer ones of other manufacturers. I held the Saiga and Liseron up sole-to-sole and the size 9 (Euro 41) Saige is EXACTLY the same length as the size 8 (Euro 40) Liseron. The Liseron is a little wider, and the sole of the Liseron is a little more in the lug sole style. All 3 of the boots I ordered are fine quality boots at an absolute bargain compared to websites like Zappos. It's just a matter of finding the right fit for you.