Strong but comfortable after I adjusted all the laces. My 11.5ft fits perfectly in a 45.5, which according to the box is actually an 11 and 2/3. Very good hold. I found the heel was well cushioned but the ball of the foot was not. I wore thicker socks for the first few days so that the inner seams and embroidery would tear a bit. Soft arch support and very secure heel protection. Despite my wife's disapproving looks at the bowling shoes, I was pleasantly surprised. Update 15/11: I have an itchy bruise on the pinky toe of my left foot. I tried alternative lacing methods (http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm) to get the bone spur on my left leg under the laces. The width of my foot is somewhere between D and E. They seemed too narrow to me. I've experimented a lot with the lacing. I found that I had to leave the bottom five laces very loose, use a tongue loop for the fifth overlay, and make sure the top laces go in from the outside first and come out from the inside first. For some reason, like my shoes, I laced them from the top (inside-out) and once I laced them outside-in, the heel counter snapped in much more comfortably. I switched to red Scarpa insoles for a little more arch support. If you have trouble landing, use my advice. I found they made me a lot happier. I was very disappointed with this at first, but it was just a bit of time and a learning curve. I hope this helps someone enjoy those stupid bowling shoes my wife hates wearing.