****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I'm not quite sure if these shoes run too small or too large to be honest. I ordered an 8.5 wide that was a good bit roomier than I needed (and also made my foot look big, but I supposed I can't be picky when it comes to steel toes). When I scooted my feet all the way to the front, I had close to 1/4" of space at the heel. The measured interior foot length was 9.75" (~24.7 cm). However, when I ordered an 8 wide, they were far to small. And since they are such stiff shoes, it was even more uncomfortable than your average too-small shoe. The 8 measured 9.25" (~23.5 cm). The size chart lists 8.5 as 25.5 cm and 8 as 25 cm. Overall, the 8 was much smaller than I expected for how roomy the 8.5 was on me. I normally snugly fit a Nike running shoe size 8.5 (no room to spare at all, but it's not too tight by any means). All that said, I am keeping the 8.5, because they really are pretty comfortable and cute-ish. And, having the extra room makes it easier to slip on and off without untying them. It also leaves some room for inserts if I think I need them after wearing them for extended periods of time (I usually wear inserts in most of my shoes). Several reviewers also mentioned the back being extremely stiff. This is definitely true, and perhaps something the extra size also helps with, as I don't really feel my heel uncomfortably against it. I also appreciate that the shoes are high-cut enough that you can wear normal socks with skinny jeans (instead of no-show socks) without it looking too dorky. You can still see the socks, but it's not a bad look.*UPDATE* I ended up ordering a pair of 8.5 regular (not wide) just to see what they were like. In terms of fit, that made the difference for me. I don't have particularly wide or narrow feet (I typically wear regular width but occasionally wear wide depending on the shoe), but I had ordered wide based on other reviewers' recommendation. The length is the exact same, but I think since the toe box isn't quite as wide, my feet just can't slide quite as far forward, so the fit feels more like what I would expect with an 8.5. Both would have worked for me, but I find the regular width more comfortable. Updated my rating to 5 star since I was able to get a more comfortable fit.
