First, yes, they do run large.
And the tan leather darkens with the lanolin that the guy at the shoe store said would NOT change the color of the shoes.
Once the shoes were stained a full shade darker, owing to the incompetence of the shoe-store clerk, I stopped considering them my "good" summer shoes and wore them on a trip that took me through 3 airports, a 3-hour bus ride, and a day of teaching before that.
I have since concluded that I don't care what color they are.
I got through my miserable, long day with no knee pain or ankle pain. My feet, which swelled with the flights and then with altitude, had space to expand, owing to the generous toe box and the cut-outs.
True, these don't have a lot of arch support, but I didn't buy them as running shoes (and, btw, my running shoes always end up hurting me when I fly because of the constriction in the midfoot area).
It's about the first time I've traveled so much and been able to walk comfortably the next morning.