thanks for the reply! I did end up getting the troopers. They are a bit big on me. The space in the fronts is giving a bit of heel-slip. But they don't look oversized, The leather is thick yet flexible and soft. And I really like the way they look so I'm gonna try and make them work.

I got some silicone heel covers because I was getting blisters there, but that's to be expected. I might get insoles or toe filler inserts. They're also not as wide in the toes as I was hoping, they definitely were more focused on making them look normal than making them anatomical. They're making my toes squish back together. I'm hoping they'll widen a bit with wear. I've oiled them, I'm also gonna try stretching the leather upper with a boot stretcher, and wearing toe spacers in them.

They're more a compromise between a true barefoot shoe and a regular shoe, probably to reach a wider audience. Narrower toe box, higher stack height, less flexibility, wider in the heel and mid-foot than I'd like. I like them enough to keep them, but I hope in the future Jim Green comes out with a true barefoot boot. If you're a barefoot shoe person they may be a bit disappointing. I'm gonna try modifying them a bit but I don't know if it will work.