These ballet shoes are not comfortable. I got them just to wear around the house... for lightweight summer slippers. Seriously I could not imagine dancing in them. Now, perhaps in ballet class you are supposed to be in pain-- I don't know. The length of the slipper was fine and true to size. It is the toe box area that just kills my feet. I do not have wide feet at all, I have to cinch up the strings pretty tightly to get them to stay on. I'm trying to break them in by wearing them a little at a time but I'm not sure I can handle it. So, bottom line-- if you are a dancer and slippers are supposed to hurt your feet, then these are probably exactly what you are expecting. Otherwise, I cannot recommend them.