I bought these a few weeks ago & thought at first they may be somewhat rough - the leather appears a bit "unfinished". When they arrived I tried them on & not only is this a comfortable higher-heeled sandal but the fit is perfect, the leather is smooth and they look really, really great on the foot. Love these sandals & they definitely stand out! I have other Carlos Santana shoes & he's every bit as good a designer as he is a musician - very talented man!