I wonder how long people owned these shoes before giving these stellar reviews. Maybe they were quality back in the day, but now...? Also - several of the pictures above (as of today's date) are of Converse All Stars. Be careful that what you select is actually a PF Flyer.

I purchased a pair of these in August 2010, and as of this review (12-16-11) I am glad to be getting rid of these tomorrow for a pair of Converse All Stars. They are literally falling apart. As a disclaimer - I don't wear these that much. They are my only casual shoes, but I never wear them at work, and hardly wore them during the summer. That's not a lot of use for just over a year.

I was hesitant to purchase these since I'd been a long-time Converse fan. However, after hearing about their snazzy history and being lured by the "hipsterness" (and loving The Sandlot), I got a pair. Problem from the get go? Super narrow. I'm 6'1" and 180lbs, very lean. I don't have fat feet at all. These aren't built for human feet - look at the aerial view: it hardly widens at all to match the bone structure of feet. Needless to say - not comfortable.

That design flaw led to excessive bending and very shortly (think 2 months) cracking at the big toe joint where the feet are widest. The white rubber bulges out from the canvas it's glued to and then bends in a "V". The continued wear in that area created holes in the canvas and in the black rubberish material underneath.

Additionally, the canvas all around the rubber base on the inside of the shoe tore in a clean line off from the canvas that was glued to the rubber. Parts of the rubber logo are peeling off and other parts of the rubber are cracking.

Last (ending the rant soon, promise), these are just a cheap attempt to ride the wave of popularity created by the Converse All-Star resurgence (New Balance started remanufacturing these after Converse got big again around 2003) a smidge of Sandlot nostalgia. Yes, almost everyone wears Converse, but think - there's a reason: they're better. Not perfect for everyone, but worlds better in quality. I doubt Flyers would be around were it not for Sandlot.

Don't get these just to try and be original. I made that mistake. If you like the style, get a quality pair of Converse All-Stars and get over what others think.