I have been trying to find a good  hiking shoe that does not have any heel for a long time. I am not able to go totally with the barefoot shoe idea (like the five fingers)--I need more support than that! But I wanted a shoe without any heel lift and this does it. I liked the neutral tan colors which go with everything except that the sole is off white, which gets very dirty-dark brown would have been better. I would also prefer a bit more foot shaped toe box but with a half size bigger I have enough room. Also shoe makers need to get rid of the toe box sloping up--not natural for walking. I wear 8 1/2 and got a 9. If I could design my own hiking shoe--this would be close with a few improvments.