I got these in the brown, embossed leather.  They are really beautiful.  They are also sturdy and secure.  I do not feel wobbly in them, so I will be able to navigate icy sidewalks.  I love the shearling and tab at the back.  They are not as high as they look because the sole of your foot is elevated too.  They are a bit like platform shoes, which surprised me.  But what surprised me more was how stable they are (I usually feel wobbly in platforms).  The only thing that makes me sad is that there is not band of flowers along the bottom of the heal as pictured.  The band is brown, like the shoe.  This actually looks good....but I wanted the flowers.  If not for this, I'd give them 5 stars.