i realized i had no walking shoes, and fondly recalled a pair of split sole pumas that i purchased back in 2005. i am glad i went back to the puma brand, as these shoes were a great find.

straight out of the box they were comfy. the foot bed has a bit of a cushion (or at least more than any other flats i've owned), and the toe box is just the right squishiness. my only beef was that even after only walking for a few minutes, the heel area of the right shoe started to rub the back of my foot raw. i put a band-aid on my foot which alleviated the issue, but i am hoping after a few days of wear that these are properly broken in and no band-aids will be required for comfort.

i also found these to be true to size, and not too terribly narrow.

other than the heel issue, i wore these walking around (and standing around) for several hours the first time, and i was really pleased. i may even purchase them in an alternate color, i like them that much.

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07.29.11 update

as much as i intitially liked these shoes (and as much as i still want to), i can not recommend them as i previously did.

the shoes never really got "broken in" even though i wore them quite often for several weeks. i still end up with blisters, which honestly, should not happen for a casual walking shoe. i took a couple mile walk today, and ended up with blisters on both my heels, as well as the side of my right foot. these also tend to pull at the heel in an odd way that causes a general discomfort.

i will continue to look for a good (and consistently comfortable) walking shoe, as this one is not it.