I ordered these a 1/2 size up after reading the reviews. This gave me the length I needed (enough that I can wear additional inserts and not have my toes touching the front of the shoe) but they're still quite skinny! I was wearing New Balance size 9 and they were more accommodating than these in a 9.5 (and my NB weren't wide shoes either.) They do look quite nice and aren't too heavy but if I decide to wear thick socks, the shoes feel cramped again! They seem durable enough; I'm not running marathons in them but I do work with kids and am on my feet in them for most of the day and and have nothing to complain about regarding the traction or material quality yet. I think if you have narrow feet, then they might be a perfect fit for you but if you don't, it can be an adjustment, even after ordering 1/2 size up. And if you have wide feet, you should probably forget about these shoes as an option...I feel like I got lucky because I just made it; really, if I wanted to wear some thick wool socks in these I'd be screwed! I got an additional pair of gel asics when they came on sale black Friday and they are much more comfortable right out of the box. I don't think I'd get Ryka again. Too much experimentation required just to make them comfortable!