I bought these without high expectations because the reviews were very mixed. When I received them, the pink trim across the straps do look a little sloppily hand-painted on, but you can't tell from a distance and they look attractive. The strap on the inside sole does rub a little but hasn't been enough to bother me or cause a blister or anything like that--but I haven't done any extensive walking in them either. I've only had them for a few weeks now, and I used them mostly for the beach in Lake Tahoe. There are a lot of large rocks when wading into the water, so I wore these and it helped tremendously--especially for collecting all the beautiful rocks on the shore! So, for that purpose, I think they are GREAT! The paint has not started to peel, but again, I have not had these for very long. It was a good, cheap investment for me. I think at the time I bought them they were on special... about $11... don't know if that's still going on. And, I did not see that price until I put them in my shopping cart and went to checkout. Overall, I'm pretty happy!