Ellie Shoes Women's 601-Brook Comfortable Slip-On Loafers for Casual Wear, Office & Travel - Lightweight & Stylish

Okay so I had to return these but still wanted to post a review for others to make a more informative decision. I decided to compete this year so I needed shoes. What I like about the Ellie shoes is that they are far cheaper than their competitors and let's be real, it all comes from the same factory in China, they just slap a different name and change a few details. The one key detail that the Ellie shoes have over the Pleaser is that they have tiny little holes in the front for ventilation so when you're walking for hours on end practicing your posing, it doesn't get all sweaty and musky, at least not as much. If they made one with a slightly higher, thicker platform, I would've kept them.The platform and heel height can really change and determine the way you walk in them. Sure, you could practice and change the flexibility of your foot but it's just not natural and comfortable for me and usually if shoes aren't comfortable for me from the start, they typically won't be even after trying to break them in. I know this from years of terrible fitting shoes and wrong sizing, bad quality etc etc. I feel like if I kept with it I probably could've gained more flexibility in my heel but I wanted something more comfortable right away so I would actually WANT to practice posing.On to the sizing... I am one of those individuals who is always in between sizes. Annoying right? I have a fairly wide foot, not so wide that I need a wide shoe all the time but definitely not narrow. I am in between a 6 1/2 and 7 and last time I purchased a 7 in the pleaser brand and it ends up stretching to the point where your toes overhang and it becomes more uncomfortable to walk in them. I took the plunge and purchased a 6 and it was perfect. Once you break them in a bit and are towards the end of your prep, it is said your feet also get skinnier so if you're in between sizes, I'd opt for the half size DOWN.The reason I ended up returning it like I mentioned was because the platform was much too small for the arch of my foot. With a 5" heel, the thicker platform makes it a lower heel in essence and it actually makes it easier to walk in these 5" heels, go figure right? All in all, if you're looking for a well priced competition heel that's not going to break your bank (competing is expensive) I would recommend these if you have enough flexibility for walking in these. Otherwise, I'd recommend the pleaser brand with the 1"-1.5" platform.I knew I was taking a chance, ordering this shoe so close to Easter to wear to church, but hey, I was in a crunch. The shoe that got my attention on the select a size page, the one that I thought was being sold, did not come. Instead, these way too tall heel and platforms came. Now, I can wear a wicked high heel, but these were too much! You'd better have some strong ankles to pull these off. I wore them while putting groceries, in my kitchen only, and boy, it was like walking on a tight rope or stilts. Half the time, I was overly preoccupied by not breaking my neck. I got the size 9, with just a little free room in the back, off the heel, so I'd say, size up to compensate for a wider foot. The blow dryer method definitely works, as I was able to mold the instep/toe area to my feet. After putting away the groceries, I noticed my toes started to go numb and the ball of both my feet started to sting. They are sufficiently padded, it's just that they are way too high of of shoe to wear, for me. I'm returning these, and going with a white opened toe and heel lower platform shoe I've had for some years, since it's too late to shop for dress shoes for Easter. They either need to change the initial picture of this shoe, which is what attracted me, to what they are actually shipping, or ship the shoe on the order screen.The shoes are as described. Shipped Fast. So I give 5 stars for that. However the shoes themselves just seem very cheap. I purchased for an upcoming NPC Fitness Competition because the description matched the same shoes on another site and they were more than double the price. Same shoe "name", picture, etc. However these shoes were not exactly the same. The inside lining is very visible. Unlike in the picture where it looks like you don't see it. They don't come in 1/2 sizes so I went up a size. VERY glad I did that. But because the toe is so narrow a lot of the inside sole can be seen .. especially in the toe area. I wish the white inner sole (liner) whatever you want to call it was less visible. When you look at the shoe - - it kinda stands out -- where as the purpose of them is to be clear .. i.e. .. like they aren't there. They are just okay. They do mold do your foot as other reviewers said and they are not uncomfortable. I'll wear them if I can't find another pair. Otherwise I'll just keep them as a backup. They will work for someone wanting a deal ... and my coach said most clear shoes she sees have this problem of being able to see the "white" .. but I've seen other pairs that are more quality. I guess lesson is you get what you pay for!I bought for a competition and decided to try shoes with and without ankle strap. The strap is difficult to fasten and unfasten so I went with strapless.Bought these for my first bikini competition. They’re plain, but that was ok since I relied on my suit and jewelry for the pizzazz. These are good if you have normal-skinny feet, I wouldn’t recommend them for a wide foot. At first, my feet WOULD NOT fit in. I read the reviews stating to use the hair dryer trick. I skipped the hair dryer trick and just wore 2 socks and FORCED my foot in. Took a few wears before in started to budge. I would wear these daily with 2 pairs of socks to break them in into the perfect fit, and ditched the socks afterwards so they wouldn’t get too loose. It took a few posing sessions until they judged, but I didn’t mind because I prefer it to be snug and not have my toes dangling. I strut in these for 4 months until it was show day. The heel height (5”) can seem intimidating, and did feel really tall at first, but I definitely got used to them after a few wears. They worked great for show day, no twisting ankles or slips. These are great because my toes didn’t hang over the edges like most of other competitors seemed to have happening. Great for the price point! I’d definitely purchase again. They fit true to size (length- wise, just had to break-in to my desired snugness) (PS, I won in these lol)These shoes are extremely small across the toes. So tight in fact I am unable to wear them for my competition. I wouldn't buy these again.Bought from the UKSizing is like the other reviews and will need stretching, i used a hair dryer and moulded them to fitSoooo...when these shoes came in I tought Never in the world can I wear them, as they were super narrow and I have a narow foot but still could not walk. dO NOT BUY a larger size please...just put some normal socks on and with your hairdryer on hot put your foot in and pass the hairdryer...and voila....works as a charm....mine are perfect now.After that they are super comfortable!I bought these for a bikini competition last year. Although they are narrow you just need to warm them up with a hair dryer to shape them to your foot (wear a sock). I usually wear a size 5, but opted for a 6. I feel like they were a true size 6, but still fit because of the strap. They were comfortable and I will be wearing them for any future shows I do.Bought these for my girlfriend and the first time she tried them on, she said the material was a little stiff. So I took a blow dryer and gently warmed up the material. It took only a few seconds to soften and afterwards she wouldn't take them off. She said she would love to even wear these out and not just for me ?? Needless to say, we are both very pleased with this purchase!