I didn't get these from Amazon, I bought them at a local store. There is something inherently wrong in the design of the thong that goes between the big toe and the next longest toe. It seems that the thong and the "V Band" are two pieces and are joined together by glue. The "joint" is not smooth hence it digs into your skin when you walk. I first purchased a size 10 and then I felt the pain on my skin after walking in my garden. I went back to the store and tried on a size 11 and size 12. The size 11 still dug into the top of my foot's skin and the size 12 was ridiculously large. I ended up replacing them with a different style flip whose thong was perfectly smooth where it contacts the skin.