I admit I was a bit leery of ordering these bags, after reading reviews complaining about how small they are.  I need a bag to carry a pair of women's size 9 1/2 shoes, with four inch heels and small platforms.  Both of these shoes fit in one bag easily.  On the other hand, my husband, who wears a size 12 extra wide, observed that he would have a tough time fitting even one shoe in a bag.  The colored fabric (raspberry in my case) is sturdy, and somewhat like what you would find on the inside of a suitcase.  The center band is black stretchy lycra-type fabric.  The bags are nicely made and will serve my purpose just fine.  However, if you need to carry bulky athletic shoes, or most men's shoes, just be aware that it will need to be with one shoe per bag.