The boots appeared to have some sort of fingerprints all over them, making them seemed as returned items, even though the sole of the shoes were clean. I ordered them in 8 wide, could be a 1/2 wider, if I had ordered a size larger then most likely they would have been slipping on the heel. ?? I wore them around for a couple of hours inside, they gradually became a little more comfortable. As for padding, you may need to put an insert in for the ball of the foot as there is no padding there. I was able to wiggle the toes around inside of the toe box area. The pressure for me is felt on the big toe of each foot on the joint and I don't have bunions!  Also keep in mind that I had them on without socks or stockings which could contribute to the snugness. The heel does not slip up and down whereas another pair of boots I owned did, it is not overly snug. Every woman's foot is shaped differently.