H.I.
If youre interested in these shoes (possibly any other Rockports), I have two recommendations 1) Order at lest 1/2 a size smaller than your usualy shoe size 2) Order a good pair of comfortable insoles, and immediately throw out the ones that come with the shoes When considering these shoes, I saw a couple of reviewers suggest ordering at least a 1/2 size down from your usual shoe. Despite those warnings, I ordered my usual size 11. After all, one main reason I looked at Rockports was I wanted a roomy shoe for my wide feet. Sure enough, they felt over sized and clunky, almost like I was a kid wearing my big brothers hand-me-downs. They were so roomy I considered getting size 10, but exchanged them for 10.5 instead. The 10.5 pair fit much better, though I was tempted to go down even smaller. However, I needed new shoes (my old pair were literally falling apart) and didnt feel like doing the return/reorder dance again. After a week of wearing them to work, I noticed my feet and lower legs feeling very strained, which traveled up to my lower back. I remembered another reviewer recommended replacing the insoles immediately. So I picked some up, and it has made a WORLD of difference. They also reduce a bit of the excess roominess in the shoe. Im not sure why Rockport uses such cheap insoles, this was the first time I ever had to replace what came with my shoe. Once I got them to fit and wear comfortable, I liked them quite a bit. I got black, and the brown leather layer above the sole looks sharp IMO. The width is very comfortable, which has always been a top concern for me with leather shoes. The sole is thick and appears quite durable. Once I put some polish on the black leather, they looked fantastic. Maybe more effort than some want to put into their shoes, but honestly theyre a solid pair at a good price if youre aware of the issues above.
