"When I first pulled these out of the box I was pretty disappointed. Not at all what I had expected. Went off of the previous reviews and was hoping for that immediate distressed ,comfy, broken-in look and feel. These were very stiff, minor distressing and the boot shaft seemed cheap. I could see how some others would say they just don't scream out 400$$'s. I tried them on several times and the more I walked around and scrunched the shaft and bent my foot the more distressed they became. I have decided to keep them. If in only one day of fittings I could do that much molding I bet I can get them to feel and look exactly how I want! They are black but with distressing over time they will fade to a washed out black/ gray color. They are comfortable, and fit true to size. The red zipper is subtle but a great quality. They are so far the best styled motorcycle/ western black knee boot I've been able to get my hands on so far. If you are willing to wait for a sale and chance it, I would suggest it as well. The price is pretty steep for what you are getting!"