text: I have worn Brooks shoes for decades but I will be returning the Ariel 14.  For some unknown reason, someone had the idea to lash the tongue down to the inner shoe with stitching, thereby limiting the adjustment one could make in the pressure over the instep of the foot.  Taking into consideration the use of orthotics, the weight of various socks, and so on, it is easy to see why so many are complaining about the altered fit from the Ariel 12.  I could take out the stitching myself, but then the shoes would be unreturnable.  And I can't know before doing that if there have been other more subtle alterations made in the tongue construction.<br />I cannot see why Brooks would make these sorts of changes in a shoe that is highly recommended by podiatrists for people with foot problems, those people most likely to be using orthotics of some sort.