Review on Rockport World Classic Tumbled Leather Men's Shoes for Athletes by James Chandran

2nd UPDATE: I drove home (Upstate NY) for the holidays and in my free time to the local , a reputable shoe store that I know, has worn this Rockport model in the past. After trying me on the salesman brought me a pair of 12 watts of this model and they fit just like before. I checked the label under my tongue and wasn't surprised to find the country of origin was Vietnam. I bought them straight away and would buy two more pairs if they are left. The price was also a little cheaper, although I would have happily paid more after the headache of guessing sizes and returning ill-fitting shoes. So it looks like Rockport has either shifted shoe production from Vietnam to India, or manufacturers in multiple countries are fulfilling orders. Regardless of where they are made, the current batch from India seems to suffer badly in terms of size, quality and consistency. I'll be sending this whole saga to Rockport in the hopes that things might change in the future, but I'm not holding my breath. In the short term, I plan to search local shops that sell this model in hopes that they have something my size Vietnamese in their back stock. UPDATE: I returned the last pair and ordered a size 12, 3E (which I didn't even know was a size but there was no 4E in a size 12). I tried it on, it's still very tight. When I compared their outsole with outsole to my 10 month old pair of size 12.2E of the same model. old shoes are wider! Not sure where to go next, but I'll probably never buy Rockports online again if there's a complete lack of consistency from the manufacturer. ORIGINAL: I've resigned myself to being happy with every couple. Everyday shoes that last more than six months before wearing out. I'm a tall guy, so if the sole isn't smooth, the inside of the heel usually starts to fray/fall apart. This shoe is better than most in this regard. However, the quality of these products has deteriorated over the years. The last two pairs I had were greatly improved with third party insoles. Also, laces tend to snap or wear out easily, and Rockport-branded replacement parts in the right color are hard to find. This time I ordered the same size (12.2E) of this pair of shoes I ordered 10 months ago. . The shoe fits a lot tighter, especially around the MTP toe. I don't suffer from bursitis or bursitis, but it seems to me that these shoes can make those conditions worse if you have them (or maybe cause them?). Also, the laces are shorter than I remember (although they appear to be the same cheap quality I mentioned above). Sending them back as I've been wearing them outside for a few days hoping that maybe there will be a "fit" period and the material will loosen up (but that doesn't seem to be the case). The only difference I see between the old pair and this new pair is the place of manufacture. The old pair was made in Vietnam and the new one in India. While I'd love to buy American made products, I'm just looking for a quality product that won't wear out quickly. And when it wears out after 6 months, it won't cost an arm and a leg (like my last few NB pairs). Next time I'll try to order a half size up or maybe even a 4E. On the other hand, I might just be looking for another brand that doesn't suffer from these quality/consistency issues. I think my work will be cut down for me.