Update (2/22/14): They've held up well for 2 years!  But I like to replace my tennis shoes every couple years, so I bought a 2nd pair of these same shoes and relegated the 1st to backup duty.  I did look at other options, but these still seem like the best athletic shoes for my needs.

I've had these shoes for less than a month, but I already know they're keepers.  I was worried that I wouldn't like the fastener, but now I prefer it to standard laces.  The hardware tucks into a small pocket in the tongue of shoe for a clean look, and you don't have the lace bow and ends to flop around and potentially catch on things.  It also doesn't come undone over time as quickly as standard laces.

On my first run, I felt that the midsection of the sole was too high and uncomfortably angled, but I just had to get used to them.  I have not noticed the "issue" since that first run.  The reinforced toe box is nice too.  The thicker rubber isn't nearly as protective as steel toed shoes/boots, but that would be too heavy and it is still much better than a standard running shoe.  The rest of the shoe also seems more durable than a classic street running shoe.  I'll take that extra protection, even if I am bucking the barefoot-style-running-shoe craze.

I don't find the look of these shoes particularly exciting, and nobody has ever noticed/commented on them.  But I think the blue/black is a classy look and I didn't buy them to gain attention.

Since I can't name any problems with these shoes, I award five stars.  I'll come back and revise my rating if any problems do crop up.