I already own the Tsubo Boleyn in Putty and love it so much that I decided to purchase the black. I usually wear a size 8 1/2 (or even 9 if I want to wear a shoe with thick socks). This sandal runs a bit big and I fit an 8 perfectly. The shank is made out of steel and the sandal is extremely comfortable even though the heel is about 2 1/2 inches high.  I usually wear totally flat shoes, like Merrells or Clarks, but I can wear these out on the town without any trouble.  There is a nice amount of support and padding through the arch, a little less so in the ball of the foot. If there was more padding in the front I could wear them 8+ hours a day. As it is, they can we worn straight out of the box for several hours without difficulty. The thick straps ensure that your foot doesn't slide around too much, almost like a closed shoe. The peep toe helps me a lot because my big toe can sometimes get "squished" in the front of a shoe. I think these shoes run about normal width (not too wide, not too narrow). One lady called these "retro" looking; I just think they're fun.