I am in between a size 7 & 7.5, so I bought the size 7. It fits nicely. A 7.5 shoe would have been too big. The heel is just right. It's definitely not a 4" heel, but more like 3 1/2". There is a flaw in the construction of the shoe; the stitching looks like its coming off around the rim and the leather is wearing down slightly on the rim.