Alpine 83 Recraft Sneaker (Women)

My 3 pairs of beloved Merrell sneakers bought years ago were nearly worn-through. These Alpine 83's looked great. Didn't know @ attached tongue...not that obvious in pictures, and at the time didn't know to look for it. Bad idea...did they only do product testing on petite 20-somethings? I'm 5' 11", large-boned but normal BMI, nearly 60 yo, and have arthritis. I have to use a shoehorn to get them on. It's a wrestling match. Also, the wide toe box I loved in my old sneakers is not there in these. These shoes do pinch my toes some, but it doesn't cause pain and I can wear them all day. Inconvenient purchase for me, but when I finally get them on, I can walk in them fine. Wouldn't knowingly get sneakers like this again.

I don't understand all the negative reviews, these fit just like all the other pairs of Merrell sneakers I own! Easy to put on and very comfortable to wear. I do have big feet (42/10.5 women's), with a wider forefoot and "tall "foot - some footwear irritates/is too tight across the top of my foot - but no irritation from these shoes, they are very comfortable! I prefer my shoes looser, and I prefer to not have to tie/untie to put them on and off, and these are exactly that! I have a past shoe from Merrell that is a tongueless design like these that I really love (Embark) - fit in the upper is similar. I was almost put off by the poor reviews - now I regret not buying these in more colors when they were on sale!

I found that these run at least a half size small; I am a women’s 6 and the 6 1/2 are ok but a little more toe bed room would be nice. I would not recommend these if you have high arches. I have a small, narrow “ballet foot” and found these nearly impossible to put on. That little loop in the back worked overtime. Once on they feel ok but are snug around the elastic mouth and the top of my foot is sore after a while. I need these for a camping trip so I’m going to keep them, but cut a slit down the tongue.