My husband ruined a pair of brown shoes using too dark of a brown shoe polish, so when we saw these shoes for under $40. we thought we would buy them to replace the ruined shoes which were much more expensive.  They are great!  He loves the comfort and the feel of them; they look good with his khakis and jeans and he can walk quite a distance and feel no discomfort.  He has only had them a short while so can't really comment upon how long they will last, but if only for a couple of years, he will have gotten his monies worth!