I bought these boots because i was told they had a roomier toe area. I wear a 5/12 and I bought a six and they are definately roomier than others i have tried. The pinky toe area was a bit tight but it didnt give me trouble. I love them. Their first trial was 6 miles uphill in the pouring rain and they performed great. No slippage, feet stayed dry.

I bought these specifically to use with snowshoes. I loved that they're Gore-Tex to keep my feet dry without making them sweat. My feet are difficult to fit (fallen arches & they fatigue quickly) and I primarily wear Earth shoes because of it. I tried on LOTS of hiking shoes and was excited to find that these didn't make my feet weak (I use kineseology to shop for shoes). They're super comfy and kept my feet dry when showshoeing, even in deep powder, with or without gaiters. BUT I returned them because the soles SUCK on snow and ice. I almost fell several different times walking across snowy parking lots to get to snowshoe trails! I only used them in snow, so I don't know if they have the same traction issues in mud.

Before I bought these shoes I read a couple of reviews that said that the space for your pinky toe was tight. I bought them anyway. Now I'm trying to stretch out the pinky toe space. I am planning a hike next weekend. I hope I don't end up with blisters. It's hard to stretch this area out because of the toe bumper (the feature I really liked) placement ending above the pinky toe area. Other wise they are very nice shoes. I don't know if buying a larger size would result in displacement of the arch support... ?