I bought these shoes for college because I have to have closed-toe at the college I am attending. I went into a couple of shoe stores and these were one of my only choices. I must say, thought that I do not regret these shoes. At first I thought I might need to return them as they seemed stiff. Also, if I wear them barefoot, or with nylons, the back of the heel causes a blister on my foot. Now, I just wear socks with them, but I did buy a heel insert that I haven't tried yet, and they are now quite flexible and I can wear them with socks all day without my feet hurting. I do like the height of the heel and these are dressy enough for me to wear to semi-formal occasions. I am glad I purchased these. I bought them in size 9, though I usually wear a 9 1/2 or 10M. The shoe store didn't have a 9 1/2, and when I tried the 10, my heel slipped. Try these shoes, they are great!