Hi Patrick! Thanks for the detailed feedback about The Statesman Chelsea Boot. We're glad to hear you're happy with the construction quality, leather, and footbed comfort; those are things we really focus on getting right.
We're definitely bummed to hear about the tight boot opening making them difficult to get on. Your comparison to other Chelsea boots with larger openings is exactly the kind of feedback our design team needs to hear as we work on fit and functionality.
Hopefully they do loosen up a bit with wear, but we want our boots to be comfortable and easy to use right from day one.
Thanks for taking the time to share the honest feedback and for recognizing the quality aspects that are working well.