i took them out of the box and tried them on. as i laced them, the loop for the shoe lace broke off! i should have known that was a bad sign and returned them immediately but i was trying to be ms. green and give them another chance. unfortunately i went past my window of opportunity (window was rather short?). these shoes look like cheap plastic you'd expect on a toy; in fact i think they are. i bought them to do an (awesome amazing totally fun get-your-showgirl-on and incredibly cardio intensive) exercise/dance class (see sheldonmoves.com) that i have been practicing for 1.5 years. i read the reviews which said these shoes were great for rumba and aerobics-like exercise. on the contrary, i found that they provided no lateral support whatsoever and did not have enough shock absorption in the forefoot. but even if i bought the wrong shoe, don't buy this shoe for the pure reason the construction is shoddy. my friends have other styles of ryka which they swear by; they have mesh/nylon construction, not plastic. i will give those a try.