I'd been wearing (mostly) a pair of Vans Italian Leather Slip-ons as my go-to shoes (for just about anything other than dress shoes), and they reached the end of their road. I was mostly happy with them, being all black, but sometimes I felt as though the nature of that shoe style was a little less-than-dressy for some of my wearings. Not that I wanted something DRESSY, per-se, but rather, a pair of shoes that could run the gamut from working in the yard to errands around town to a nice (not fancy-nice, but nice) dinner out.

After some searching, I found the Doc Marten's Ethan, and was struck by how much like my previous favorites they looked, but with that never-say-die Doc's sole, and a slightly more upscale profile. They fit me like a glove, and are quite comfortable-- a cross between the lace-up Docs I own and my (previously) favorite slip-ons. They're easy to get off and on, and walk the line nicely from the garden to evening drinks. I suspect that they'd even work out in a slightly dressier situation, need be.

All in all for me, great! Simple, comfortable, versatile Docs.