Hi Emily,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. We definitely want the shoes to fit snug. They will stretch a bit over time but we want to make sure they're a flop free fit so you foot is secure and not moving around at all. We don't want toes to be gripped in order to keep our shoes on, that leads to many more issues. Thank you for sharing your tip about the socks, that's great! All of our styles are different so if you ever have any questions about fit please reach out to us at aloha.roam@gmail.com and we would be happy to share our picks for narrow feet, wide feet, feet with bunions, planter fasciciitis, you name it! Always here to help.