Customer Reviews Frye Arkansas Mid Leather

I've been wearing my boots for more than two years now and they really haven't held up. After only 6 months or so the sole was punctured somehow. Shortly after that it started peeling off at the toe. I had them resoled and now it's happening again. The laces broke, and I attempted to contact Frye several time for replacement laces since they have sort of a special look and feel to them, but Frye never responded to emails or tweets. Next time I'll look for a boot that lasts.

The boot is a beautiful piece of work. The fit was a bit large so that a size equal to my shoe size was found to be comforatble with thick socks and this combination is very, very comfortable. The color is beautiful and the fit is like a soft glove. Easy to love...

The craftsmanship is outstanding. It is not an out of the box comfortable boot. You will need some time to get it just right.

These are literally the best shoes/boots I have ever owned. Buying American made was important to me and the quality of these boots do not disappoint. They do run large (I ordered a half size smaller and they are still a bit too roomy) so if you order, make sure you get a pretty snug fit b/c they will mold to your foot over time. High quality and I will be taking care of them by conditioning every so often to make sure they last.

Best boot I have ever owned. Don't want to take them off. Makes me stand taller and straighter.

Great shoes. Fit is slightly large (which is consistent with the brand's fit). Color is very cool and interesting - a washed out brown. The tips and heel are black.

I wanted to invest in a proper leather boot, and these nailed it. I bought them a year ago, and waited this full year to write my review. I work as a civilian in Afghanistan in some generally rough conditions, and these have taken me on two deployments now. They're showing age, but they patina beautifully. After a good month of wear, they'd shaped out just right and hug my feet like a glove. No discomfort whatsoever. I'll soon have to resole these, but I'm fine with that. Love 'em. Make sure to pick up the Frye brand leather conditioner in the black tin they sell, as regular application of this stuff keeps the leather in good nick, keeps them soft, and keeps the water drops out (don't submerge them if you can help it, of course). Totally stoked on these in the Whiskey color.

This boot is very well made and will take a high polish to make it a good dress boot. I normally but a size 10 but because of the comments that I saw I ordered a size 9.5 and the fit is just right.

The Arkansas Mid Leather are a very high quality boot. The superior construction is apparent while trying them on for the first time. I ordered a half size smaller than my normal sneaker size and the fit perfectly. The only bothersome thing about the shoe is that they are made in the USA, but Frye is owned by a Chinese company. That fact takes a little bit away from the Frye mystique.

Bought these boots to look a little more mature. Excellent quality, comfortable, get compliments in school all the time, and are very water resistant. However, the stitching on the leather sole quickly wears in the first couple days and the front part of the sole wore quickly as well in the first several days. Nonetheless, these are exceptional boots. Oh, and order a half size down; I am normally a size 11 and I had to order a half size smaller. Would recommend to anybody.

I love these guys. They look even better in person and they fit great. You can dress them up or down. The description calls the color brown but they are more of a faded black. They are comfortable considering the leather soles. Comparing them to cowboy boots they are way more comfortable.

I wanted a pair of classic black lace up boots that were made in the USA. After much research, I decided to purchase these FRYE boots. I liked the look of these better than any I'd seen. The craftsmanship is amazing. Though the black appears to be a two tone boot, they're not. The actual boot looks much better than the images on ZAPPOS. The leather is extremely soft and they are extremely comfortable with no break in needed. As in previous reviews, definitely get 1/2 size smaller than you would normally order (they run large). I'm really glad that I researched before buying. These boots are great!!

Rugged yet fashionable. The gray/brown color of the upper is really unique, and tends to look good with everything. One of several pairs of Fryes I own. The fit is pretty roomy, so consider ordering a half size down from normal.

To start wonderful service from Zappos. I was worried about the color of the black boot because the picture shows it being almost two toned so I called and talked to someone to see if they knew and they said it might just be that particular boot that you would have to order to be sure, so I ordered from her and the boot was here the next day! She was such a joy to talk to. Luckily the color was not two toned! More of just a lighter black which I really like. You can dress up this boot or wear it casually much better than the original Arkansas (the soles and the laces were the big difference for me) from Frye which is why I bought it. The fit: Frye boots run large. I recommend sizing down at least a half size maybe even a whole size. I went a half down (usually a 7.5 went with the 7), but I wear thicker socks with boots. Comfort: the boots are fairly comfortable, but I think could use a bit more padding in the footbed. It is a fairly stiff ride. I am considering buying a more padded insert. Overall the boot looks wonderful and while expensive is considered a investment on my part. To me a good boot is worth paying for.

Contrary to the experience of other buyers posting here, my usual shoe size was a fit. I am happy with these boots, but I warn that it took a good eight miles of walking with makeshift padding to break these in enough such that putting them on did not feel like I was voluntarily strapping on some Medieval torture mechanism. The first excursion out left my upper heels blistered and raw after only about four blocks. Eventually they loosened up. Now they feel pretty good, if still a bit stiff.

Old world quality boot. I keep and resole my shoes dozens of times and appreciate well made shoes with uppers and other parts that can be expected to last. The least it's quite stout and the break in time has been several days. They are not comfortable out of the box and need this to be comfortable. As good as they are they are overpriced. At this price point I would really expect a smooth leather lining. It's not there. The supplied laces are a bad call. The leather laces don't slide smoothly through the eyelets which makes the practical on and off of boots this high problematic. The switchout to a high quality dress boot lace also dresses the appearance up some to a point more consistent with my intent for normal office wear.

I love these boots! It took about 5 all day wear to break them in and now they're like buttah! I usually wear 8-8.5 so I got the 8's and they fit my slightly wide feet just right. I always put insoles in since I work on my feet all day and walk around SF. The style is just what I was looking for. If you can afford it, get them!

These are pretty nice boots but there were unfortunately a few shortcomings causing me to return them in favor of nicer models. Overall, having looked at many medium to high end boots, I think these are also somewhat overpriced given their construction (unlined and synthetic lining). Positives: - Nice exterior leather. Very soft and conforming, needing basically zero break-in. I wish Frye sold a better pair of boots with this exterior leather but better interior construction. Note that the leather is thinner, lighter, and even more conforming than the normal Arkansas boot. - Made in USA. - Great medium-casual work-boot style, love the overall cut and appearance. - Very nice leather outer sole with rubber heal overlay for traction. Negatives: - The left and right shoe I received did not match. The left boot had a lot of pebble texture, which was fine. And the right boot had almost no pebble texture, also fine. But I couldn't handle how different they were. If everything else was right I would have tried exchanging for another pair to see if the large mismatch was a fluke. - Mediocre flat waxed laces have too much friction. They don't slide well through the great eyelet system to pull tighter or looser. Might replace with round black boot laces and be thrilled with the lace system. - Unlined leather main body. At this price point the boots should be leather lined. - Synthetic lined toe section. At this price point the boots should be leather lined. Aesthetically, I don't really like the visible brown sole edges on this black boot. It might be possible to use shoe polish to stain them black, or it might be somehow sealed. Some people might like this but I tend to like my black boots black and brown boots brown. The overall fit is a little larger than average. Good width and room in the toe box, maybe a little more than average. Length is a half size long. Seriously consider ordering a half size smaller than your normal shoes and measurements from a standard foot size device.