TOMS Women's Heritage Canvas Classic Slip-On Shoes

I love Tom's Shoes and I have had 4 pairs over the years. However, the most current pair seems way too big. The last pair that I have, similarly is a little big for me, but I thought the fabric has stretched over time with wear. When I opened this box and took the shoes out I see the shoe insert says 11/12. I don't like to return anything and I won't return these, but the next pair, and there will be, may start with a 10.

First of all, I should preface this review by noting that I've bought several pairs of Tom's alpargatas in the past. I love the simple, casual style, and they pair well with a lot of what I wear. So I do keep coming back. However, they aren't perfect and my persistent gripe is with the sizing. These are not made for people with slender or narrow feet. I typically wear a men's size 11 in sneakers and a size 10 in dress shoes or boots. For Tom's alpargatas, from a length perspective and in the toe box area, the 10.5s are spot on for me. However, the 'waist' of the 10.5s are far too roomy leaving extra space around the sides of my feet below the ankles and a feeling that the shoes might slip off when walking. When I size down to the 10s, the fitment is much more snug around the sides (although they could still be snugger) but my toes start to run up against the ends of the toebox because the size 10 isn't quite long enough. So if you have longer, more slender or shapely feet, it's a bit of a case of picking your poison with Tom's. I've usually opted to downsize and have tried my luck with a variety of methods to try to stretch the shoes to give me a bit more room at the ends, which I won't get into here. I just wish that Tom's would make their shoes compatible with those of us who don't have stubby, Hobbit feet. It's not a problem that is unique to Tom's by any means but it is a problem nonetheless. To my slim-footed brethren, you have been warned!