My local Kohl's store stopped selling these so I was happy to find them on Amazon. My first pair lasted at least 4 years thanks to decent construction and my occasional application of brown-colored scuff cover (like shoe polish). The stitching eventually wore enough that walking in rain meant that water seeped through but I'm keeping that original pair for mowing the lawn in or painting. The new pair that I bought online are a size 9 and fit as nicely as the original ones. I wore them for an entire day to start with and didn't feel much discomfort in the heel at all. I think that they break in easily. The shoe horn is always a good way to extend the life of the shoe, but I would not say that it is necessary. I'm going to take good care of this pair and see if I can get them to last a long time. I like the fact that they are easy to slip on and go well with jeans. I got the brown color which have a smooth complexion rather than any type of texture or pattern to the leather.