I never wear a 12 in ANYTHING, but I had to get one in this boot. Most of my street shoes are a 9-1/2 or 10 in women's. I knew from other reviews that this boot ran small, but I had no idea. Initially, I ordered an 11, but they crowded my toes, so I had to send them back and get the size 12. They are very comfortable boots. The fabric is tougher than it looks. I dance a lot, but I purchased them as a nankeen-look boot for my Regency-era clothing. With different strings, they worked wonders. Since they have a split sole, I would not recommend wearing them outside if it is damp, rainy or muddy. The pads on the toe and heel wore well in the areas where I was walking, which was mostly in short grass and on paved sidewalks. I did put a removable insole in the shoe before I wore them, to provide extra cushioning. If I was going to regularly wear these in areas of dirt and/or grass, I would definitely take them to a cobbler to have a leather sole professionally stitched on, but for sidewalks and limited walking, the regular sole did fine. In packing, they squish down to almost nothing, and you can stash them in your purse or bag. As a side note, I did end up dancing in these boots, and they worked great. Nice flex and point.