What is the best size of shoe (touching the toe or having room?)

[polyrandom]

Usually when I buy a pair of shoes to wear daily, I will try to leave a little room between the front of my shoes and my toes. That is to say, if I extend my toes, they won't touch anything.
So, when I was buying a pair of diving boots, shall I stick to the same method? Or shall I buy a pair shoes that are tighter? i.e. when I extend my toes, they can touch the front of the shoe, but they still can extend instead of being stretched.
Sorry if this question looks a bit dum.

 

[sixgears]

I'll take a shot at this. Buy what's comfortable. I don't consider diving boots as "normal" shoes because of the way they're made and the materials they're made of. If you're buying thinner tropical-type boots then I don't think you'd need the extra room; just go for your true size. If you're buying a thicker boot or even something like a Rock Boot I would give it a little room because you may want to wear it with an extra layer inside to keep your feet toasty warm. Again, comfort is king.

 

[jonesbf]

Definitely get what's comfortable. I have thick souled boots and there is a little room at the end. I think they would be uncomfortable otherwise. I remember trying on about ten pairs of boots/booties before purchasing at the shop. I kept asking questions like yours and they just kept telling me to find a pair that is comfortable.

 

[rawls]

polyrandom

Think of it as if you were trying on a pair of socks...as opposed to a pair of shoes and a good rule of thumb is to start with one size down from your shoe size...Size 10...then go to size 9, etc...
Not a dumb question at all...Hope this helps...

 

[Prostar]

I wore a too small pair just once. I got about fifty yards across the quarry and turned back. The continuous rubbing of my toes while finning hurt so badly I couldn't stand it. When in doubt, err on slightly bigger.

 

[orlandoscuba]

Best thing to do is walk around the store with them on. This way you can tell if it is comfortable, which is the size you should get. I prefer to have about a cm of space from my toes, but that is my personal comfort zone.