SOREL Women's Joan of Arctic Waterproof Boot (Open Box)

I don't have a particularly wide foot or a big foot so I was surprised that the 9M boot I purchased would not allow my size 9M foot to pass through the ankle part! It wasn't that my foot was too thick, it was too long! I could not slip my foot through the ankle part because only half my foot, lengthwise would slide down in and it would get stuck. I wear tall riding boots when I ride horses so I am no stranger to pulling on a pair of tall boots but these boots are simply too narrow through the ankle to allow my foot though! I even tried the thin riding socks I use with my other boots and no dice. I didn't want to force it as I was afraid the lining would be damaged and then even if I could get my foot down in, if they're damaged, what difference does it make? I was so excited to have some nice boots to wear during the messy Maine winters but I took them out of the box and 2 minutes later, was packing them up to return. It's too bad; part of the reason I bought these was that Sorel has a good reputation. Apparently, they decided that the foot of the boot will be 9M but the ankle will be way too small for the foot. Seems like a bad design flaw to me. But they are really cute and the liner is bulky so maybe they would be warm, if I could actually wear them!