I received this pair of boots a day before traveling and ended up wearing them throughout my trip. The break-in period was extremely painful—I developed blisters and even some bleeding (it has been 3 weeks, and my feet are still recovering). I usually wear a UK9, but with these, the heel kept pushing against the back and causing discomfort. What stood out most was that the right shoe felt noticeably tighter than the left. This wasn’t just imagination—my right shoe developed far more creases, and my right foot suffered significantly more blisters and pain.
Additionally, the toe box felt uncomfortably tight. The forefoot area was under constant pressure, and the stiffening material inside the toe box dug into my toes, leading to additional injuries and blisters.
This is my second time being disappointed with BLKBRD. That said, I do appreciate the ethos of a small, homegrown brand, which is why I’d still consider giving the brand another chance (at a later stage)—provided they improve the inner cushioning, consistency in sizing, and address issues like the overly stiff toe box design. I’d also really like to understand why one shoe in this pair felt distinctly tighter, something I haven’t encountered with other brands.
Note to BLKBRD: Please keep this review visible on your wall, as it’s an honest account meant to help you improve and to inform other customers. If it’s taken down, I’ll unfortunately feel compelled to share a more detailed account of my repeated disappointing experiences across multiple platforms and social media (with pictures and everything).
