I will state right here, that this is all based off of first impressions, since I haven't had an opportunity to exhaustingly test these out.  I ordered a size 9 1/2, because when I went to a conversion site online, it said a European 43 is equivalent to a 9, and I heard these tend to run small, so I went up a 1/2 size.  Since I have 3 pairs of Vibram 5-Fingers, all in 43, that fit snug, I figured that 9 1/2 would be fine.  Well, let me tell you, they were quite tight.  I promptly contacted the seller and informed them I would be making a return and had size 10 replacements in the mail within a few days- I got my replacements before they got their returned pair back.  So, the moral of the story is, order at least 1 size greater than your estimated shoe size, if you are converting from European sizing, and that their customer service is excellent and speedy.  They even reimbursed $6 of my return fee.

So, on to the shoes.  The new ones are great.  The pictures give you an idea, but these things look and feel incredibly sturdy.  I bought some mandals in Israel, that had Vibram bottoms and looked very rugged, but they started coming apart sooner than I would have anticipated (and, to add injury to insult, they were more expensive than these!).  I feel these won't suffer that fate.  The bottoms are incredibly thick, and everything looks really well put together.  I read some reviews where people claimed to have had theirs in good working condition for years, and I am inclined to believe them.  The leather is thick and high quality looking, not the cheap stuff you often seen on boots or sandals.  Not using loop-holes or buckles probably also helps to keep these going.  They provide good support;, and properly snug.  The toe is no joke, where I feel you could actually kick rocks and not be the worse for wear.  Plus, you don't have to worry about those places that won't let you in because you have open-toed shoes, which is always nice.  Oh, and these definitely look good.  Obviously not good, but fashionably interesting.

The negatives?  Well, I anticipate that foot sweating will be high, since you don't have as much ability for your feet to breath in these as normal sandals and they ARE quite snug.  I wish there was a bit more ability to adjust things, like the heel strap, for instance.  I am not having a fitting problem, but I think it would be nice to have that option, and I can imagine some people might not be satisfied with how they are adjusted (using the elastic cord thingy, which allows you to make specific sections along the top and sides of the foot more or less tight).

So, I bought these for some trekking in S. America.  I plan on spending 6 months down there, hiking all over the place, so I'll update this when I get back, or possibly a little sooner, depending.

* Update *
After using these almost exclusively during my 6 months in South America, they are still going strong.  Lost a bit of tread, but certainly not even close to bald.  Fortunately, they never developed the "stinky feet" smell, which is a big plus.  I ran in them and hiked in them, and walked countless hours in them, and never had a problem.  Quite comfortable and practical.  They are sufficiently attractive looking that I could wear them when going out, and while they probably didn't look great, they were passable- never got told I couldn't enter a club with them on (though, admittedly, there is more leeway given to gringoes in general).  Had lots of people compliment me on them, because they liked the design.  Never got a stubbed toe, which is pretty awesome.  I can say, they literally have zero problems- the quality is quite good.  Very happy with my decision to purchase these, and highly recommend them.