Is there a pinching when you walk, from the leather flexing down onto the top of your feet?
First, my apologies for this issue. I know it can be quite painful!
What causes the pain?
Normally, the leather at the flex point creases into tiny ripples, shaped like "uuuu". But when this pain occurs, the leather at the flex point is creased into a larger fold shaped like a "V", which presses down on your toes.
What causes the "V" fold?
What's peculiar about this is the inconsistency with which it occurs. The same shoe will be fine for most people, but cause a small minority this issue. Sometimes it's only one shoe and foot that's affected, such as only the left is affected, but the right is fine. Someone affected in one shoe can try another shoe without a problem, even if the two shoes are the same exact style, material, and size without any problem. Some people are more likely to experience it than others.
We've spoken to many shoe experts, and checked the web, including this discussion on StyleForum, and nobody is entirely sure why. The best we know is that it seems to happen more often with people who's feet are smaller at the flex point. You'll find similar. This is unfortunate because we want to provide a roomy toe box so your toes can spread to their natural width.
What can be done?
The problem often goes away after breaking the shoes in. However, we acknowledge again how painful this issue can be. We recommend trying them for 3 days, but we also understand if you'd rather end the experiment sooner and return them.