I don't have narrow feet, I wear 8.5 or 9W, and these are snug across the instep. But I took out the insole and they fit alright. After a long hike out in them, I decided I could probably fit another insole - I used Odor Eaters which are thin foam. That works well.
Really I could use a thicker or even original insole, but when standing for longer periods it's just too tight.
My red portion at the toe rand is peeling back...
UPDATE:
I have a few seasons in these in the PNW. They're great boots.
My feet are wide. I wear 9W in Dansko, 8 1/2 wide seemed great in some Salewa ice boots I tried on at REI. Usually I go 9D in american shoes, 42.5 in La Sportiva (because they're usually narrow.
I'm using the US 9 - 42 2/3 boots. I wear think ski socks, but they're warm.
I took a risk when buying my AR's because of the reputation for being narrow. But, they've got pull-out liners and are quite compact, great for climbing. They are narrow, but sized to move the curve a bit further forward away from my small toe. That's how I usually do La Sportiva (Trangos, old Boulders, etc.)
- At first, I just took out the thin insole. They were great. Hiked 12 miles round trip in their first weekend, and it was the cold week Jan 22, 9 degrees or so.
- Then, I added a thin odor eaters insole, the white ones with perferated holes. Only did that to increase insulation below my feet and to fill in the boots a bit.
- I'm back to the original insoles now, and I believe I could fit an upgrade in there.
In other words, they broke in to a degree. Including how easy/difficult it is to remove the liners off my foot. It's much easier than when they were new.