I limit my rating to 4 stars because the price of these is so high.
I found that they do allow for secure attachment of the shoes to my feet while allowing me to slip them on and off as easily as loafers. I did leave off the uppermost lace to allow my feet a little bit of extra room when putting on or taking off my shoes. I am using Hickies on a pair of sneakers and on a pair of regular lace up shoes. Both work fine.