I had high hopes fot the Scarpa Men's Epic Alpine Cross shoe. Having a wide foot and high instep, finding the proper fit in a shoe isn't easy. Indeed, I've been through various brands such as Lowa, Danner, Dunham, Carolina, Timberland, Inov-8, to name a few. I always order my hiking boot a half-size larger than my normal shoe size, thinking it will give me the bit of extra room (both height and width) in the toe box that I need. These Scarpa Men's Epic Alpine shoes looked very nice, with a Quality feel and a solid, aggressive out-sole. However, upon attempting to put them on, it was immediately apparent that they would not even fit on my foot! This was quite obviously due to the tongue being very much OVER-SIZED (THICK)! Had the tongue been about a 1/2 inch thinner, "perhaps" I would have been able to at least get these on. These are the first 9.5's that I could not even get on, let alone walk in. Therefore, please be advised of this design, and be aware that one needs quite a "low" instep to appreciate these shoes! My next pair of hiking shoes (Zamberlan's) hopefully will do the trick!