"Ryka's thing is that they make "sneakers for women." Apparently women tend to overpronate (roll onto the outer part of the feet) because we have wide hips. So there is extra support on the outside of this shoe. It felt weird at first, since I wasn't used to it. I had painful feet and ankles the first day or 2, but I've since broken in the sneakers, and I do like them. They are very light-weight and breathable. There seems to be a little bit too much room in the toe region, but they fit snugly where they are supposed to. I don't know a lot about proper running shoe fit, but I do know they fit a heck of a lot better than my old shoes! (don't forget to replace your running shoes every 300-400 miles!)"