I have gotten a lot of compliments on these shoes. They are pretty sturdy. I bought inserts to make them a little softer for running, but I could do without them. They are snug, but not too tight. I would go a half or full size up, they don’t have a tongue or laces you can really loosen up to fit your foot inside if the shoe was your exact size. I am usually a 7-7.5, and I got an 8. If you wear shoe inserts, I would recommend getting 1.5-2 sizes bigger.