I can always rely on the fact that I wear a size 7. The tongue of these shoes is attached to the side of the shoe. Therefore, it makes it rather difficult to get your foot in the shoe if you have thicker socks (or an ankle brace) on. After being worn a few times they losen up a bit. I did order a 7 but I probably could have gone with a 7 1/2. If you have a wider foot (even in the slightest) I would certainly order a size up.