I got these because I am having a lot of foot and back pain. I have two friends that swear by Birkenstocks and won't wear anything else. I did't like the style of the original sandals. I found these and like the look much better. They remind me of what sandals may have looked like in bible times. They look good enough for dresses or pants. The soul is kind of hard and took some getting used to but my feet are feeling much better. Next time though I am going to try the soft soul type.