Upsides:  in the end (punny), these jeans look good, feel good and fit good.  I bought/fit in both 34x34 and 35x34; the only difference I notice is perhaps a bigger cut in the legs, but once buttoned both felt the same in the waist.  So I kept both.  Just a few hours of wear loosened both up to fit snug to my form rather than cookie-cut bodies.

Downsides:  they needed to be washed right off to remove a prickly post-manufacturing element; the button area irritate/d skin like sand in a bathing suit; and color/fade varies a lot--from light blue to dark blue, which I suppose would make a difference to anyone trying to match a pair for day or evening, t-shirt or jacket.

Price is great compared to rival manufacturers.  These jeans are more cowboy than high fashion (whether the faux grunge or wannabe starlet type).  You simply can't beat buying these through Amazon Prime with free shipping and returns.  It made the purchase risk free.