There are a lot of hard core Chuck Taylor addicts out there and after ordering my first pair I can say I'm still outside that bubble. They look good and the high top doesn't squeeze my ankle or anything like that. The sizing was dead on so don't order a half size larger thinking it's a good idea! My 9's were dead on. The Chucks are a seasonal shoe I wouldn't wear them in the extreme cold, or really rainy days. As for soles and support they're flat. I've owned Vans and they're even flatter than that with less support. It might just be I'm not a kid anymore, or I've got the wrong type of foot but I'm not so sure. I'm expecting these to be my pair of Chucks to last a while because I'm not gonna be wearing these every day. So, they're definitely good .. and everything that other people love, but I think I'd rather wear Vans.