Customer Reviews Frye Engineer 12R

Love! I took forever to decide between these and the Veronica Shortie. After ordering and trying on both I decided I like the more rugged look of these. The Veronica were more feminine which isn't what I wanted in a boot. I like that the Engineer has a firm leather upper and isn't floppy around the ankle like the Veronica. My only grumps are that the heel on these seems a bit higher than needed, I wish they were only 1" and the grey is not as light or as grey as all the pictures on Zappos. The Frye website had the best color representation. I wore these all day the first day with no problems. They were comfortable for me out of the box. No construction issues. Very well made and I love that Engineers (unlike the Veronica) are still made in the USA!

To Allison in Philly: Thank you for suggesting to put a plastic bag on the foot to get this on. It worked! I was worrying because I could not get the boot on. I expected this based on the other reviews, but after putting on a nylon the boot wouldn't go on. So I went to the pantry and got a plastic grocery bag and voila! I am going to walk around and stretch it out since my right foot is bigger than my left, but the size 9 is accurate. I can wiggle my toes. I have 2 pair of Fryes in 8.5 and have managed but this 9 will be great since I am a 9 96% of the time. The brown brush off is gorgeous. It looks like the picture. The leather is substantial and the buckles can be adjusted. Gorgeous boots!

These are Fryes. Which is the same thing as saying; high quality leather, cool look, and very comfortable. I have had different styles, and never had to return a pair for any reason! This pair goes with a leather jacket I have of the same color. That is hard to find! I usually wear a 9, but most the Frye styles fit best half a size smaller. So I ordered the 8½.

Update to my last review. Since it's been raining in my part of the country, I thought I'd use the Frye Leather Conditioning and Waterproofing to protect these boots. The result is that the boot color has completely changed. It's no longer two-toned (with the toe cap a distinctly different color); the entire boot is now a medium-brown shade: it's like I bought a boot in an entirely different color! It looks fine--like a simple brown boot, with a slightly darker toe cap--but not what I was expecting to happen. Frye's website indicates that the consumer should "test" a spot on the boot, to see if the boot color darkens, before conditioning the entire boot, but this makes no sense. All boots should be regularly conditioned, or they will eventually dry out and develop cracks, so what is the consumer to do in the case of caring for this particular boot in this particular color? I think Frye really needs to address this issue. That said, I still love the boots--they really are the most comfortable boots I own (more comfortable than the Veronica slouch, to be sure)--so I still highly recommend them.

Surprisingly, I really love these boots. I thought they would be too stiff and clunky, and others had commented about a raised shelf between the heel and footbed on the insole that made the boots uncomfortable. But I took a chance, anyway and am so glad I did. First, yes, there is raised shelf on the insole, but because these boots have only moderate arch support, once I slipped an insert into them, the raised shelf problem disappeared, and might actually be helping with arch support. Second, the boots are sturdy, stable, and well made. They are not too difficult to put on, either (and I have moderately high arches). The are cute as buttons. I wear size 9 in all Frye boots and the same in this style, and when I was trying them on, my husband remarked that they seemed to "shrink" my feet (make them look smaller). I bought the sand color, and while the color demarcation between the toe and the rest of the boot is distinct, the overall color is warmer than shown in the photos. Also, I think that overtime the toe cap color will probably fade (this has happened for me, relatively quickly, with other Frye styles). Overall, I am super-satisfied with these boots and am thinking about buying them in another color. I highly recommend them.

I was deciding between the Veronica Shortie in burnished black and the Engineer 12R in either black or charcoal during a sale event. The Veronica was ruled out quickly because of the much thinner leather, the narrower toe that pushed my toes together and the fact they are made in Mexico (the Engineer is still made in USA). Also, the Veronica Shortie looks like a dress Engineer, which is sort of an oxymoron. I wanted a classic Engineer with the rugged look. Then came the decision on color. The Engineer in black is a matte solid black which makes it look like rubber at first glance. If it had a tan demarcation at the sole like the Red Wing 2990 or 2268, I would have gone for it (couldn't wear Red Wing due to their D width even in women's sizes). The charcoal is a weathered warm dark gray that's quite unique and would go well with both earth/neutral tones and black attire. So that's what I ended up with. I am a standard size 7B with normal arch and slightly skinny calves and a 7 in the Engineer fits well with regular socks (not dress or sports socks). My only gripe as other reviewers have pointed out is some pairs are not made the same, which I see as a quality control issue. I understand that they are supposedly handcrafted, but how hard is it to mark leather using the same pattern and sew them together at the same places like sewing clothes? The black pair I tried on was perfect in fit, not too tight, not too loose all around with minimal heel slip and my feet went in with a relatively easy pull and "pop" at the heel that is similar to fitting cowboy boots. The charcoal pair (the last pair of 7 in that color) has a left boot that is looser than the black ones like it has been tried on by too many people when it's not (there were no folds or creases on the boot). The right boot, on the other hand, is very snug around the instep like my Ariat cowboy boots when they were new. The leather on the right boot at the heels slant towards my ankles gripping it more tightly, which is not a bad thing. I've been breaking them in walking around at home with a regular sock on my left foot and a thick sock on my right. Luckily for me, even with the snug right boot, there are no hot spots anywhere that cause blisters. So I expect stretching the right boot with thick socks would be the only break in I need to do. Another defect I noticed was the piece of skinny leather going up the right boot shaft at the back is cut crooked with a somewhat curved edge and the stitching is not straight. Again, I don't get how it can be crooked when the leather is supposed to be cut against a pattern. I do like the boots and they look great with skinny jeans tucked in and the quality of the material is good. However, the workmanship has much left to be desired for a brand that commands high prices. I got my pair at a deep discount, so I'm okay with the purchase as they were the last pair in my size. However, for full price, I would either insist on a perfect pair or would have chosen a different brand with consistent workmanship. Lastly, a cowboy boots fitting tip for those having trouble getting into their boots: wrap a thin plastic bag over the instep and heel of your foot and slide it into the boot, then pull the plastic bag back out. That would save some of you from having to size up to a floppy boot just in order to get through the ankle. Of course, if you have a really high arch, this may not work.

I was so incredibly disappointed with these boots and Frye as a whole. I have been eyeing these boots for over 5 months because they looked so rugged and like they would be a go to classic I would hold onto for a long time. When I opeded the boxx I saw a cheesy light cheap looking boot. I would have expected this quality from a discount department store not a boot I paid so much money for. The sole was a lightweight foamlike sole and the leather was thin and rigid at the same time.

LOVE these boots! I’m usually an 8 but I ordered 8.5 since I have wide calves and these fit SO well! They were stiff the first wear but not uncomfortable. So glad I got these!

I love these boots! The leather is supple and the gray color is perfectly neutral. I’m pregnant and I normally wear a 7.5 to an 8 and I ordered the 8 and it is a perfect fit right out of the box.

These are PERFECTION! I was a little worried about buying a pull on boot since I have a high arch. I was concerned that I would not be able to get them on so I ordered a 9 and a 9 1/2. The 9's were perfect and look great with jeans and leggings. The color is such a rich charcoal that it blends seamlessly with black. I love them :-)

As gorgeous as they look, I could not fit in these shoes. I will try a bigger size :-(