ASICS Women's Gel-Nimbus 24 Running Shoes - Lightweight Cushioned Sneakers for Women, Road Running & Jogging, Gym Workout & Daily Walking - Perfect for Marathon Training & Fitness Enthusiasts

I have worn Asics Gel-Nimbus since the 1980s. They always ran small and narrow in the past, and they still do. I think all runners save for brand new runners knew/know this. I always had to size up by at least half a size. The last couple of pairs I purchased I sized up a full size.This time, I had to size up 2 whole sizes. I wear size 8.5 B in high quality dress shoes. I tried these Nimbus 24 in store in 9.5 and was STUNNED at how tight and short they were. My big toe was almost to the very tip edge of the shoe, and my other toes were pressing against the shoe's side edges. I had to loosen the laces A LOT just to squeeze in my foot. They were uncomfortably tight across the top of my foot, too. My arch is moderately high but not very high, so I was surprised at how constrictive was the top of the shoe over my arch and toes.I decided to order these in 10 Wide and 10.5 Wide to see if either of these sizes would be a better fit. To my amazement, even 10 Wide was too tight and a little too short. I sat at my desk--no walking around--and my feet began to hurt just sitting there with the 10 Wide on. Only the 10.5 Wide seemed to fit reasonably well. This is a good place to mention, too, that the footbed in any size, e.g. 10 and 10 Wide is exactly the same. The difference between the 10 and the 10 Wide is there is more material on the top of the 10 Wide, thus there is more room for someone with a moderately high arch.In any case, I think the length in the 10.5 Wide might be a hair too long, but I was wearing thin socks in Winter at the time I know that whilst out on the road whether or not I wear thin or thicker socks, my feet WILL swell, and my forefoot WILL splay outward and push forward. I think the 10.5 Wide is going to be the correct fit, but just to make sure, I ordered a 10.5 regular just to see how it compares to the 10.5 Wide, and I was correct that the 10.5 regular is too small because there is not enough material on the top of the shoe. The footbed is the same length and width.I have read some reviews with photos of the reviewers's toes punched through on the top material. They blamed the shoe for this. What was really wrong is that they ordered shoes much TOO SMALL. Of course anyone's big toe will start to push through and break the material if the shoe is too small because your feet splay and push forward as. you walk and run. This is not Asics's fault. That is YOUR FAULT for not choosing the correct size/fit.I have a fairly neutral stride forward and tend to run on the balls of my feet instead of landing on my heels as many runners do, but some people's strides are not as straight forward, and their feet shift either inward or outward as they run, thus their feet land differently on the ground. If you are not very experienced, you may not even realise this fact about your own stride and how your feet touch down, but if you watch many other people run for a while, you will notice this.This is why EVERYONE should go to a quality athletic shoe store and have a knowledgeable sales person help one to find the correct fit based on how much room is needed and whether or not one's feet shift either inward or outward whilst running. The single biggest mistake I have seen people make in buying athletic shoes, especially running shoes, is that they do not know how to obtain the correct size/fit, and they do not know whether or not they need shoes that provide more stability if their feet bend either inward or outward whilst running. Let a professional TEACH YOU how to judge size/fit, and let a let a professional WATCH YOU run to determine whether or not you need a neutral shoe like the Nimbus. You have to go to a brick and mortar store for this. You cannot do it on-line.If you can get to a store to try these on before buying, I highly recommend you do so. Store prices are as good as Amazon prices, and at a store you can get professional help to determine correct size/fit and style of shoe such as a neutral shoe or one that provides more support. Remember, as you walk and run, your forefoot SPLAYS OUTWARD and PUSHES FORWARD, and as blood flow increases, your feet swell considerably. Your shoes must accommodate your natural movement as well as the natural swelling.There must be adequate width and adequate length to accommodate your foot in motion. As you run, be conscious of what your feet are doing and how they feel. Notice how your feet feel depending on the thickness of your socks and the outdoor temperature. Blood flow increases substantially during running, and with the increase in blood flow especially in hot weather, your feet will swell considerably. You have to account for these facts in choosing the proper size/fit. I cannot emphasise this enough.As always, the Nimbus provides excellent cushioning. It is the one thing that has not changed since I began wearing Nimbus in the 1980s, but other than the cushioning, my opinion is the overall quality of Asics has significantly declined. Cushioning is extremely important to my feet, but cushioning alone does not make a good fit if your feet do not have the needed width and length to swell and move inside the shoe, and if those calculations are not well done ahead of shoe production. Serious, experienced runners know this.I rely heavily on Amazon reviews, so I was surprised to read so many reviews that said these Nimbus 24 run true to size as in a fit equal to dress shoe size. They simply do not run true to size. Remember, in terms of length, there should be at least a finger's width between the tip of your big toe and the front edge of the shoe. If you look at photos in reviews where the reviewer complains that their big toe came right through the material, you can see very clearly that they ordered shoes that were too short, so of course their toes pushed against the material and eventually broke through it.In summary, go to a good quality athletic store and let a truly knowledgeable sales person help you figure out whether you need a neutral shoe or not, and let him/her TEACH YOU what a good fit looks and feels like. You will be glad you did! Remember, too, that at least in my experience, Amazon's prices on these shoes are no better than the prices in brick and mortar stores, but in stores, you get the help and sound advice you need to make a good decision so that you are happy with your purchase.The upshot is I do not know how anyone can claim these fit true to size. What rubbish!!ETA: The 10.5 Wide was indeed the best off the rack size for me. They have enough length and enough material on top that my feet feel very comfortable in the shoes, but my heel slips a little bit even after I lace up the laces pretty snuggly. This is because the length is a tad too long, but a 10 Wide would be too short, so better to go with the 10.5 Wide. The slipping can be alleviated somewhat with lacing tricks---however, I will let you research that yourself as this review is long enough already.Asics always has made Nimbus, and probably always will make Nimbus, for people with low or no arches and narrow feet. The best advice I can give you to help you find a truly good fitting shoe for your feet and how you run is to go to a quality athletic shoe store and let a professional help you. Also, try on different brands. You may be surprised to find you like Adidas or Brooks or another brand even better because that brand fits YOUR foot and the way YOU run best.As something of an aside, we all know if we return something to Amazon we must return it with all of the manufacturer's packaging, labels, etc., if we expect a refund, right? Well my 10.5 pair arrived in a brown, generic cardboard box instead of manufacturer's box because "the original box was damaged in transit." At least one person before me tried these on and sent them back. This box arrived in an envelope! What do you expect, Amazon, if you ship something like this in an envelope instead of a shipping box?! Of course the likelihood of the box getting damaged is very high! Regular shoe boxes are NOT shipping boxes.In any case, if I order a brand new pair of shoes for $130 or more, I sure do not expect to receive my shoes in a generic brown box shipped in a paper thin envelope! If returning manufacturer's packaging materials to Amazon for a refund is important, why would Amazon not think that sending the customer's item in manufacturer packaging is not important to the customer? This was not Asics's fault, but I found it very annoying.There is one other thing I would mention to anyone who may be thinking of ordering from Asics's website. DO NOT DO IT!!! I did it ONCE and will never do it again. Their customer service is THE WORST. It took me over three months to get the problem sorted out. Never again. Your best bet is to buy at a brick and mortar store unless you already know for certain which brand fits YOUR feet and the way YOU run best, and what size is the best size for you. If the fit and size are definitely known quantities, and if you see your size on sale on-line somewhere (except on Asics's own site), then snag them, but otherwise, I really believe your best best is to go to a brick and mortar store. Check on-line for customer complaints about Asics website.That should convince you not to order from them directly. Good luck!