These shoes are definitely undersized. I wear a hard-to-find size: 15EE (wide), which I wear in every other shoes I buy from New Balance, Samuel Hubbard, Rockport, Clark’s. Columbia is one of only a few manufacturers which make this size. Ordered a 15 Wide and it was definitely too narrow. I returned them to the original seller (Zappos, which did not have anything larger) and ordered 16 Wide directly from Columbia (which did have that size). The 16 Wide fit but was still tight. Like other reviewers, some wearing break in helped and the shoes worked out ok. Like other reviewers, I agree: the tongue is way too short. And the “wide” is more like a traditional “E” width - not a “EE” width. The length is also skimpy: while I upsized to a 16 from a 15, the length in the 16 is like a 15 in all the other brands I mentioned above. Someone needs to check on pattern/lasts being used in the manufacturing plant. So a full size and width difference I think. PERFORMANCE: The shoe needed breaking in but after a few hours, were fine. I used them on hikes in Costa Rican rain forests during rainy season and they performed very well. I has to be sure the laces were over the short tongue - which just barely worked. These hiking shoes kept my feet totally dry in driving rain, puddles, and mud. Great traction in mud, gravel, and sand, and thick sole provided great support over rocky surfaces.
Read More