Hopefully this helps with your choice of what size to get as that was my major issue when considering this boots. For reference I am a size EU38 for all shoes and my feet measures 23.8cm without socks and 24cm with a thick sock. I consider myself to be a true size US7, EU38. With wide feet and normal Arch. My Calves measured 13.5inches around. I am 1.64cm tall weighing 50kg.
The quality of the shoe is awesome. Thick black leather. The glue and everything was neatly done. Workmanship 10/10.
I contemplated between 39 and 38 but finally settled on EU38. My calves fit nicely not tight and not hard to zip up.
The length of my feet fitted nicely within the shoe and still had space in the toe box, so when I am walking my toes do not hit the tip of the shoe inside with socks on. My bottom arch of the feet aligned with the footbed properly and I felt that I had enough support. I did not use any of the additional insoles. It was the shoe itself that fitted properly.
Now comes the tricky part. I think why it says to size up is because of the width of the shoe. My feet is quite wide and it fitted snugly at the sides. It does not hurt but it felt tight, which I think can expand as it is leather and it can soften to be more comfortable with each use. The other reason is the front part of the shoe which is the top part of the arch, that part is also tight which holds my feet back from sliding down the shoe into the toe box.
If you have a feet that has more meat, then YES size up,…