As an airline pilot, I usually buy a pair of these shoes every 6-12 months. I don't know what happened this year. I usually ordered 9.5 and they were too small. So I ordered 10 pieces, too big. Finally I ordered 9.5 wide. It still took months to break in, my pinky toe is still bruised and the sole isn't as soft as it used to be. Something has definitely changed to make these shoes cheaper and this will be my last pair.