More Bernie Mev &#34;trial and error&#34; shoes. The Size 39 was quite large on me, so - knowing how the BMs stretch - I returned them and ordered Size 38. I have tried various ways of stretching them, and it has been about 80% successful. Obviously, the length isn't stretching, but the vamp has given a bit (enough to wear). Two factors cause limited stretching in this model: (1) the woven elastic is on the straight, not on the bias and (2) the elastic band that goes across the vamp (with an accent on #2).