These water shoes feel a lot like some barefoot shoes I've tried. The upper is stretchy and therefore forgiving, and if they're loose you can tighten them with the lace. I haven't tried them in water yet bc I can't decide what size will be best for comfort when on dry land while not falling off when wet.I understand why the reviews are all over the place in regards to sizing. I ordered a new and a "used" pair of the blue and peach colored shoes, both in size 38 (men's 6/women's 7.5). The "used" pair is considerably larger than the new pair - noth in width and in length. The new pair was very tight all over with no room in the toes, while the old pair was loose all over (but fits better in width).I also ordered the blue and pink in a 39 (men's 7/women's 8.5) and it fits pretty well in length with a little room in the toes, but the forefoot width is a little narrow. It works because of how stretchy the material is, and it fits my ankle better than the old peachy 38, but my forefoot usually tends to feel cramped after awhile (and after walking a lot) so I'm not sure about the fit.If I keep one pair I think I will keep the old peachy pair ("used" from Amazon warehouse is often new - these had the tag still on) for the extra width, but they may come off while in water. Second choice would be the new 39 larger size because it fits almost perfectly except feels a little narrow in the front.To me it seems like they used to run large but don't anymore. Now they run TTS or a little small/narrow.I normally wear women's 8-8.5 in sneakers.