After years of wearing leather trainers from a variety of brands including Steve Madden and Cole Haan, I finally decided to give ECCO a try. While ECCOs typically cost a little more than Cole Haan, this particular model does not. A sturdy shoe with a nice leather upper and a very comfortable insole. Normally a size 9, I took the advice of others and reduced the size to an 8.5; this turned out to be an error. However, I have always found that the standard Cole Haan width in a size 9 narrows the instep over the instep due to the moderately wide foot. I've come to the conclusion that the ECCO shoes are a bit wider; If you are too, I would recommend sticking with your normal size. For comparison, having bought a pair of ECCO oxfords, I think your normal size is for their leather trainers only. Their oxfords have a design feature to accommodate a slightly wider foot, specifically a tapered sockliner to allow for a natural spread in the forefoot (i.e., forward from the arch through the balls of your feet). This makes size 9 oxfords feel *a bit* big and I suspect a size smaller than 8.5 might be the solution, although I didn't want to risk going back and being in-between sizes; a little more is better than a little less. As well as working with European sizing, I highly recommend ECCO shoes.