I bought these shoes while looking for a replacement for my old NB 1009 shoes. I wanted a comfortable and durable shoe with good support for leisure hiking on and off trail. When I travel, I walk around 7 to 10 miles a day on mixed terrain, so I need a shoe that is both comfortable and that gives good support. These shoes are great. I bought them through an Amazon affiliate; Roadrunner Sports. The price was excellent and Roadrunner has a no question return policy. My shoes were available in 9.5 EE black. This is not an easy combination to find. They fit like a glove and I am very happy with the purchase. I also have a couple pairs of La Sportiva Raptors which I like as well, but the Raptors are a more specific use mountain running shoe that I do not recommend for city trekking. I plan to use these shoes (NB1226) exclusively on my next trip to Hong Kong and Cambodia.