I bought these "boots" because I was wearing an orthotic in my New Balance trainers and wanted a shoe I could easily transfer the orthotic for short hikes. I was on my way to Vermont for a wedding and, because of the foot injury, I was pretty much stuck with one pair of shoes. First, I love New Balance because they are more narrow than most running shoes (and if you usually lace up your shoes as tight as possible and leave six inches of laces trailing the ground after you, you know what I mean). But when I laced up these boots, they were so comfortable I didn't want to take them off. I have narrow feet and ankles prone to spraining, and the boots protect my ankles from turning when walking on uneven surfaces. I wear them with Craghoppers (which I also love) and they look great. My brother calls these boots my clodhoppers because he's a typical brother. They really are very attractive.