The reason I put &#34;somewhat large&#34; on the fit was that I normally wear a 9, but the 8.5 fit perfectly. This is actually the second pair of these shoes i purchased. The first were for me; the second for my 90-year-old grandmother. I bought them because I wanted a full-coverage shoe for summer and camping that were waterproof (for walking into the ocean or traversing creeks, etc.). As it turns out, I LOVE these shoes. I wear them all the time; they are so comfortable. The only reason I gave them 4 stars is that, even thought they are mesh and have openings, my feet still sweat in them (probably because of all the waterproof materials. So, I usually wear them with mini socks.<br />Because they are easy to pull on and take off, have good support, and have the pull elastic to tighten (instead of laces), I bought my grandmother a pair and she loves them. Who knew that these would be great shoes for an elderly woman?