I was disappointed with the shoulder pad that came with my Timbuk2 messenger: stiff, uncomfortable and slippery. So I tried the Manhattan Portage Small Shoulder Pad and was pleasantly surprised: good looking, well made, well fitting (on 2 inch strap), grippy and reasonable size and price. The huge velcro fastener is over engineered but will never accidentally release. Yes, this pad was stiff at first but after a few weeks of use molded to my shoulder shape and increased greatly in comfort.

The Amazon picture of this product is tiny, dark and untelling: it doesn't do justice to the nice appearance or features of the pad. Once in hand, I found it a basic but handsome shoulder pad. And, of course, the black nylon fabric goes with almost anything. The underside is a grippy textured rubber-like material. I can hang my bag off one shoulder without worrying about it slipping off.

I planned to remove the red Manhattan Portage logo label but noticed it matched the colors of my gray Timbuk2 Bondage messenger (see customer pics), so I left it intact. Like others have written, the stitches of the label are easily removed with a button hole tool.

I also compared this pad to my Crumpler shoulder pad and, while the Crumpler is a good pad--better than Timbuk2 pads--the simplicity and comfort of the Manhattan is a level up.

All in all, a great shoulder pad, perfect for small and medium camera and messenger bags: firm enough to support a load but soft enough to flex and not bite into my shoulder. I liked the Manhattan Portage so much, I bought 2 more to use on my camera bags.