Blundstone 983 Work Series Boots - Steel Safety Toe, Leather (For Men)

These boots run 1/2 size smaller, I ordered 9.5 (UK), which should be 10.5 (US), but the interior length is identical to US size 10.
I proved this by comparing the insole to the insoles of my other size 10 footwear, and additionally, seeing my toes' imprint on the insole. Also, the insoles are marked 9 (UK), which further proves the 9.5 (UK) labeled boots are sized 10 (US).

(My typical footwear size is 10, but I order 10.5 from Sierra, in case boots are narrow or undersized. I can always compensate accurate 10.5 footwear by wearing thicker socks or inserting thicker insoles. There's no fixing tight fitting footwear. I'm glad I ordered 10.5 US.)

Moreover, these Blundstone boots are thickly padded, especially around the tongue and around the ankle area, making them comparatively heavy and overly warm. Because the tongue is thickly padded, the boots put uncomfortable pressure over my instep. Out of the box, my feet could only tolerate wearing these boots for 4-6 hours. I had to resort to loosening the laces over the vamp/instep area, AND removing the thick insoles and replacing them with very thin insoles (Walter's Comfort Insoles, also sold here at the time of my purchase).

I recommend these boots for folks with lower arches and/or narrow feet.
For people with normal/high arches or widish feet, you'll NEED to replace the insoles with very thin insoles (less than ¼") in order to make the boots comfortable. I doubt ordering a larger size will solve the shallow instep issue.

CONS:
Runs small, ignore the UK sizing, for instance if you wear size 10 (US), DO NOT get size 9 (UK), opt for either 9.5 or 10 (UK) depending on your size preferences.

The combination of an overly padded tongue, and thick insoles creates an uncomfortable pressure over the instep of "normal" feet.

Based on my intuition, the zipper and the velcro strap that holds the zipper pull in place, are the weak points of these boots. I doubt the zipper and velcro strap lasting over a year from daily use.

Due to the padding, etc., the boots are comparatively heavy and warm. After wearing these boots the ankle area of the boots were moist from my sweat.

Small rocks get stuck onto the lugged outsoles.

The boots' uppers are noisy, the rubbing from the tongue creates squeaks as I walk.

PROS:
Due to the padding and thick insoles, they make decent winter boots, or suitable boots for people who are on their feet for extended periods (assuming you are able to keep the stock insoles).

I hate dealing with laced boots (I prefer pull-on boots), the zipper provides a good compromise without sacrificing ankle support.
You can maintain the laces tied while putting or removing the boots, however, if you have thick ankles you may need to untie the laces before removing or putting on the boots. (I'd say I have narrow ankles and it's a bit tricky removing/putting the boots while having the laces tied, because the lack of opening into the boot, so if you have thick ankles, you may need to untie the laces).