It is frustrating! I also live many miles from a hiking boot retailer and have ordered shoes online with mostly unsuccessful results. My first pair of Vasques, which I ordered from Campmor, fit perfectly! So when I ordered a similar pair of Vasques in the same size from another retailer [Campmor didn't carry them any more] I expected them to fit, and they didn't! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> And it cost a lot to send them back, too. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

This has happened so many times to me with shoes! Wouldn't you expect the sizing to be consistent within a manufacturer? Maybe the problem lies in the outsourcing to different locations. My sister discovered some hiking pants of the same size had a two-inch inseam difference between the ones made in China and the ones made in Viet Nam.

Considering all I've spent on return shipping, I guess going with Zappos when possible makes the most sense. In the long run, I would have saved $$.