I too purchased these as a backup for my Sam Edelman Vancouver boots because I wanted to see if there was enough of a difference in quality to account for the price difference. There is. I got both colors and the black pair look great but the ankle is too tight & stiff, even when I loosened the laces and buckle... quite uncomfortable. The taupe color was less appealing to me. Got them on sale so ok for the price but I will return both pair.