It's all about quality for me, and elegance. These shoes stand very well balanced on their own. The foot is held in position firmly but there is some give; the strappy parts on top of the foot have a little elastic attached to them along the sole, which stretches so that you can fit your foot in, and gives some give so that you don't get blisters! I thought that was a really considerate touch on the part of the shoe designers.

The shoe fits true to size and just a tad bigger. It's fine with me, I guess I could have gone down half a size more, but I think that would have been just too tight. I am a little concerned about when the leather will stretch; perhaps I'll have a cobbler take the straps in a little bit if the shoes stretch too much. It's great that these are leather though! Manmade materials just suck!

The ankle strap is comfortable and has a pretty gold buckle, but the buckle sits exactly over the knobbiest part of my ankle bone. That's not cool. I have not experience discomfort yet, but I can see it becoming a problem for some people.

The shoes' sole is 100% rubber; you won't be slipping and sliding in these shoes! Be careful while dancing though.

This shoe is well-made and sturdy; they will last you a long time while also being very safe. Be aware that sizing is a little funny; I am a true 7.5, and these seem just a little bit big.