I was leery of throwing away $25 on crappy shoeshow happy am I that these are actually really *good*?! The material is better than I thought it would be; sturdier, easier to clean and breatheable. The elastic doesnt pinch. The style is simple and elegant. I wear ballet flats without socks for the most part, and these don't stink like most synthetic shoes. So far, these are holding up better than the previous pairs Ive had in the category: Tieks and Yosi Samras. Perhaps Ive found my new forever flat!