I wanted a closed toe shoe that wasn't high on the shaft and had just a touch of heel to help out on the... uh... backside. these are PERFECT.  They have just enough lift to make it feminine but not enough to totally count as a heel.  I wear them for 12 hours at a time while traveling, at work- EVERYWHERE.  They're just a solid day to day shoe.  Soft leather, sizing was right for me (different from the reviews i read)