These shoes surprised me.I measured my foot using a tape measure from my heel to my longest toe. 11.5 is my size. I ordered the 11.5 assuming no issues.When I first put them on, they felt very off. Such as the shoe felt very stiff. I attribute this to their impact resistant material. Further, it felt very tight, especially on the sides (I have large/wide feet). And there was a lump-like feeling when just standing and walking with them. I was beginning to regret my purchase, but this is why I will absolutely not return it and instead loved it 10× more than I could of thought initially.Here is what I did:1) I immediately loosened the laces.-That fixed the tightness a bit. The shoe felt very "snug". But not completely comfortable yet...2) I forced myself to wear the shoe for 1 to 2 days, and then a bike ride or two.-This fixed the following:•Tightness was gone, it felt comfortable and it definitely widened according to my foot size.•The stiffness was not as noticeable as well. I attribute this to the shoe widening a bit to my foot.•Lump was not noticeable either, so I assume my body weight, down pressure, and wearing it for 1 to 2 days definitely helped bring the feeling of a lump down.After those negatives were taken care of, i must say the shoe looks legit. It definitely protects your toes and the sides of your feet. And the grip, my goodness, the grip is perfect for those who ride with clipless pedals or just want more grip when sending it downhill.The shoe gave me confidence when coming down rock gardens, loose dirt, ruts from rain, stumps, and jumps. This shoe does add to your mountain biking ability because of how well it performs under those conditions.If you want a shoe that wont slip while riding. This is it.It is expensive, but i rather feel secure riding than slip and potentially go over the bars or get into an accident.Also, it does help a lot on those long climbs. And it doesn't feel uncomfortable anymore. Worth spending the money IMO.Before you give up on them, try a size up too. It takes sometime for sure, just to get used to this shoe. But the benefits are worth it.