I bought these shoes for our family. I have just gotten back into running, and was finding a fair amount of knee pain after the first mile. A woman who also attends Boot Camp, went from the walker group to the runnerss group - and when she told me about them  I was hesitant. But, I LOVE them! They don't look like  snowshoes on my feet - and most importantly, the added cushion is what I needed for my hips and knees. If you're sporting a "few extra" do your bod a favor and get you some cushion!