A lot of people say the AE 5 last is a long last, but that wasn't my experience. I actually think these shoes are slightly more elongated compared to AE's 5 last. I needed a 12.5 in the 5 last because a 12 crushed my toes. However, the 12.5 was a little too wide, and AE doesn't make any narrow widths in a 12.5. So, I tried a 13B in an AE Strand, but those were a little too long. All in all, I was never happy with the way the 5 last fit my feet.
These shoes I got in a size 12 (normally I would wear a 12.5B or 12.5C in most shoes, and I wear a 12B or 12C in Alden's Barrie/Trubalance lasts). The length on the size 12 was perfect, but they felt a little roomy in the width at first (I also have a low instep), so I got some felt tongue pads and that fixed the problem with the width, so now the shoes fit very well.










