I have been buying this model shoe sense 1995. Once my local shoe stores stop carrying them I had to find another source, which have been online shoe stores. I have never found any quality problems with the dozen or more pairs I have owned. I have never even bought a shoe lace. I wear these shoes 10 hours a day 5 to 7 days a week for work and get about 1 years of use out of them. I believe these are worth the money spent.