I bought these because I was looking for a workout shoe that I could wear with black pants, that wouldn't make my feet look like they were in a sci-fi movie. (Although, I do love to watch the TV show Eureka!) I was happy that they were vegan, as well.

I went to four different B&M stores, tried on dozens of pairs of shoes and was beginning to think that my feet had suddenly grown in some weird fashion (no pun intended), as NONE of them fit properly. I tried on various sizes, from various brands, in various styles and nothing was right. It was soooo frustrating!

I ordered these in what I previously thought to be "my size" (women's 10), based on others' reviews and whew, was I happy when they arrived and fit PERFECTLY!

I wore them around the house for a bit to make sure, then to work for a full day of light duty stuff, yesterday to the gym for some precor and rowing machine work, and then, today, to the gym for a lo-impact workout. So far, so good! They are SOOOO comfortable AND - BONUS: they make my feet look smaller! This was confirmed by my mom, when she exclaimed this upon seeing them for the first time.

Fit points (in all shoes) that matter to me:
- toe room: these have a good amount of it, so toes can wiggle, but not so much that the foot is unstable or the toe box looks huge.
- stitching in toe area: At first, I thought the bar of stitching that runs across the top of my foot, at the base of my toes, would irritate me, but I only noticed it the first hour or so and haven't noticed it since.
- the area around the Achilles tendon: again, just the right amount of room (shoes usually bend forward too much for me, not these)
- arch: i dunno if i have flat feet or not, but I do love a nice hefty arch. These have a good one, with a smooth transition from the rest of the surface.
- sole width: some shoes seem narrower in the sole, even though the shoe might fit, thus causing my foot to look like it's floating or hanging over the edge - ick! These are just right in sole width.

PROS:
- sized right (for me, anyway!)
- comfy!
- nice style (simple, but not boring; old-skool, but not out of style)
- vegan! Saucony's site claims: "This Vegan friendly Saucony shoe contains no animal products, by-products or derivatives. Canvas and hemp create the classic design."
- TWO pairs of shoestrings (mine came wearing a black pair, and with an oatmeal pair in the box) - this helps to match your style & I find I get more use from an old pair of kicks, when I spruce them up with some new laces!
- women's sizes 5-12, with half-sizes from 5.5 to 9.5
- the insole is removable!
- so many great colors!!!

CONS:
- the frayed cotton look on the oatmeal parts does make it look a little scraggly. (as mentioned by another reviewer) but it's not totally noticeable and, some may even think it gives the shoe a bit of "granola" charm. Mine seem a bit more frayed than the pic shows. I'm on the fence and could take it or leave it. We'll see in the coming months, if it deteriorates faster than expected. [2017-Dec UPDATE: fraying is minimal and a snip here or there cleans it right up. I may have done this once. I wear them (to work out) about 4+ hours per week. They still look great and are still comfy and I'm still very pleased with my purchase!]

NOTE:
there is a good bit of chunky traction on this shoe. This will certainly help on the trail, but causes a noticeable amount of grip on smooth floors. I find it tolerable (even a bit soothing, as pressure on the various tread triangles gives my foot a bit of a "massage" while I move around), and the added grippiness is a minor concern for me, compared to my other preferences, but if this is an area of major concern for you, you might be bothered by it. This might decrease, as the tread wears a bit. If I notice, I'll update.

CONCLUSION:
Active vegans have another reason to rejoice! And, so do active non-vegans, or non-active vegans! These shoes are super-cute, cool, comfy, and caring to animals, and indirectly, the planet! They fit great (true-to-size) and can be worn confidently! With so many great colors and the guarantee of a good fit and function, I will be back to buy more! Thanks, Amazon!

I rely on reviews to help me make informed buying decisions. I hope this review helped you in the same manner! :)