I have a high instep, and the part of the upper that crosses it is very stiff, so the shoes will require some breaking in. Also, they seemed a little large; I've lost weight recently and might actually have been able to wear a 5, but it's hard enough to find a 5½ these days, and that is the size I normally wear in this style, which I've been wearing for years. I hated to see Enzo Angiolini go out of business; fortunately Bandolino has picked up this style.The pair that I got had obviously been returned, as the cardboard inserts were missing from one of the shoes, and the paper wad and plastic stretcher had been removed. They still appeared brand-new, but I think someone at Amazon could have restored the original condition. Also, the box was shipped in a plastic envelope that provided insufficient protection, so one end of the box was crushed and torn.