I wanted to like them. I positively love the way they look and the leather, inside and out, is so very soft and comfortable. The laces across the top are very soft and stretchy as well. The fit was correct; neither too big nor too small.

However, they ruined the shoe by putting a tight, sharp band of elastic around the heel. I have fairly thin ankles, but that little piece of elastic feels like it's slicing into my skin. I've never worn a shoe that hurt that much right when I stepped into it, honestly. It's less of a shoe and more of a torture device, if you're into that sort of thing. It begs the question: don't they have someone try the shoes on before they put them on the market? These should have never made it out of the warehouse.

I hate that I have to give these up - they really are very, very cute, but they are not worth the pain. I wish I would have read the reviews elsewhere on the web, because this is apparently a problem for other people as well.