My first impression of this shoe was that the calf skin was just gorgeous. The inside of the shoe is a dark, almost fawn-like quality to the leather. The inner sole is cushioned well, but not so much it would look like an orthopedic shoe. It's luxuriously comfortable. The bottom of the sole is also a softer leather, so I have to be careful not to trod on any terrain that will rough it up too much. I wore these shoes for 3 hours at a social event the first night I had them. I had a slight rubbing on the inside of each foot, but after one more outing, they were broken in nicely. Generally, with a cheaper shoe, the wear in time is longer and results in a few blisters on my feet before I can really feel good in the pair. Not so with these Sam Edelmans.

On an aesthetic note, the box of this shoe is a nice length. Not really long like on some other loafers I've seen. The calf skin really makes a difference and people notice. It's not just a fabric loafer. The color is wonderful and I get many, many compliments. I have the snow leopard color and it is just gorgeous in person. Better than the picture. The bits of white really make the leopard print look more trend-setting and classic as opposed to trendy and juvenile. It was also less expensive than the standard leopard print. On a final aesthetics note, the inside sole has the Sam Edelman signature in black and it's really classy yet modern. Love it.

The only downside I've found with these shoes is that I find myself treating them like a much more expensive shoe than it really is. I certainly don't want it to get too wet and reshape the leather (I like the boxy look), so I wear another pair of shoes until I get to my destination.

These shoes would be perfect for an office setting, party or with jeans.