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Do water shoes (not socks) expand some so when purchasing you should go down a size?
I wear 8.5 shoe but water shoes do not come in half sizes so wandering if I should go down to an 8 since the shoe may expand some IN WATER. Nothing worse than to get a size 9 and be in the water to lift my foot up in water and the shoe come off. Please advise. the size 9's I purchased are already a big too big so have ordered an 8.
Since you are looking at shoes that only come in full sizes, I'm guessing you're looking at very cheap shoes. A cheap water shoe is usually made of a rubber sole and an upper of neoprene (somewhat stretchy) and very stretchy fabric. If your foot fits on the sole, the upper should stretch enough to accommodate the rest of the foot. The sole will not stretch whether it's wet or dry. The upper will stretch both while wet and dry.
As to whether you should buy a size up or down, that depends entirely on the brand and manufacturer. It's likely that either shoe will be OK, but will not fit well. The only way to know is to try before buying.
Nicer water shoes will vary more in how they're made, and may use less flexible materials in the upper. They are generally more durable, more secure, and more likely to come in half sizes.
