I bought these (in leopard/red) for a few main reasons. 1) I was looking for some red shoes and some leopard shoes. Both! In one shoe! 2) I prefer pointy-toed flats. Score! 3) I had a Piperlime coupon for my birthday. And who doesn't love shoes on their birthday? So I ordered them originally from Piperlime. I am almost always an 8. The 8 came in. These are lovely. They are fully lined in a piece of leather, so during the day, the area between the footbed and the side of the shoe doesn't become an issue. The sides are very low, and you will show some toe cleavage. I prefer this style, but if you're not expecting it, take note. Also, note that the red strips of leather are more orangey, where the red part of the shoe is more of a bordeaux red. These are also cowhair (calfhair? Don't know) that is dyed. Beautiful shoes. But my toes curled in the end of them. Of course, Piperlime is out of the 8.5, so I had to order from Amazon (and pay $20 more). The 8.5 fits perfectly--I could even go for a smidgen smaller, but I didn't think I could properly stretch the 8 since they are not just leather, the are the cowhair. The width on the 8.5 is perfect for the fit. These are really well-made, you won't regret it!