I love the colors of the shoe - just a hint of brightness without looking like I'm just a fashionista (hey, I want to be taken seriously when I'm getting a workout too)! These would work as a nice looking sneaker to wear around town for some casual shopping or a lunch date, but they will work even better for their real purpose: hiking.  The shoe comes up just enough on the ankle to give a little bit of extra support on uneven terrain and the rock plate will definitely help protect my feet.  The rock plate does take a bit of time getting used to because it lessens how much you can feel the ground at the mid-food andw heel; however, it doesn't inhibit your natural foot motion and there is still plenty of flexibility at the forefoot.  The sole is nicely padded and the shoe is still fairly lightweight - I have lighter sneakers for other activities but these are the perfect weight for some hiking and making some trail running (serious trail runners may want something lighter and/or without the rock plate though).  Finally, I wear a size 9 1/2 in pumps and a size 10 in flats and sneakers; these are true to size and the size 10 fit like a glove.  I also wanted to mention that the toe box does provide a little extra room which I usually don't care for, but the snugness of the rest of the shoe made me not even notice it at first... All in all, a great shoe and I highly recommend this!