I bought this shoes for my teenage daughter. Her regular size is 9. She tried this shoes first at the mall to get the perfect fitting. We were told that the canvas fabric will stretch. So we bought half size smaller - 8 1/2 and it fits perfect. This is not recommended for folks with heel pain and for prolonged walking. It is best to buy a no-show stockings/socks. The color is ash but the color is somewhat brown in color, nice color tone.