5 Trail Running Shoes, 9.5

Ok, so I bought these, so no free chicken here. I have size 11, wide / flat feet with a tendency to roll ankles & experience the dreaded guitar-string arch-fall. This has occurred my whole life, mind you. I’ve struggled to find good shoes / hiking boots. A few years back I grabbed a set of these on a whim (ok, desperation) after my Asolo GTX hiking boots rubbed my heels raw for the umpteenth time (also, did I mention I have Achilles bone spurs? They’re on my heel bone & curve to poke my Achilles tendon—convenient, amirite?)… I had to flex to my military combat boots to finish my elk hunt (Lowa Zephyrs). I resolve to find better / lighter footwear after the hunt. So I snag these things and yep.. they feel tight & narrow, just like the reviews. I stick with em. No blisters. No Achilles tendinitis / discomfort from the spurs. Just a bit of “dang these are tight” for the first few weeks. After a few weeks, I take these suckers up the Moanalua hike in Oahu. Yes, this is the legal way to the radar site of the “Stairway to Heaven” fame. A serious day hike for committed hikers. Zero probs. You’re Spider-Man in these things. Afterwards, I was smoked, but no foot problems. A week later, we do it again. No probs. Again. I watched my buddies in “normal shoes” eat it on slick mud / roots, etc. No probs for these, the BFG MTRs for your feet. So if you’re like me, big hobbit feet & in your 40s with sufficient gumption and income to absorb the cost of a failed footwear purchase or a willingness to take on the Amazon AI returns bot, you have nothing to lose by trying them. This is my third pair. I put em on.. said “dang these are tight” and stepped it out for 6 miles. They’ll loosen up! Still zero blisters. Zero spur probs. Zero tendonitis. I’m convinced these are the BEST SHOES MADE (that I’ve found). The tread will wear quicker than your average gym shoe… but the treads are super aggressive trail lugs… if you’re a townie speed walking concrete, you’ll rub the nubs off quick! Keep these to the trail & they’ll last you a good amount of time. And let’s be honest—the looks and the laces.. are fire! Initial reviews are cool and the gang, but 6 years of Bigfoot slinging lugs in mountainous terrain might be useful for the buyer on the fence. Be patient & step it out.