“Sizing Dilemma”

“I bought these 1/2 size smaller than I normally take because of the reviews and my normal size wasn't available. Although the length was adequate, the shoe just seemed small in the way my foot sat in the footbed. I own pairs of AKU Utah Lite and AKU Extremes and the length of these AKU's are consistent with the Edge and all are slightly longer than other brands of shoes I own (Merrell M2 Millenniums, Alico Summits, Dunham Mountain Masters). In terms of heel to ball joint length, I think these shoes are consistently sized with all the other shoes I own. That being said, if your heel to ball joint sizing is less than your overall foot length sizing, you probably do want to size down. The extra length of the boot should make that possible. The best strategy, I think, would be to order both, which I wasn't able to do. In terms of use, these boots appear to be comparable in use to the Alico Summits and the Dunham Mountain Masters without the weight or the break-in period. Good for hikes that involve trail hiking and off-trail mountaineering. Heavier duty than the AKU Utah Lites and not quite as heavy duty as the AKU Extremes. I don't have any idea about long backpacking trips, but the shoes are very easy to walk around in because of the rocker soles. All in all a very well made specialized shoe that I hope to be able to find in my normal size.”