No way are these worth the "retail price". I would give them 1 star if I had to buy them at retail price.

If you can get them at a significantly lower than "retail" price, they are a good alternative to sandals. You can wear these in any situation where you'd wear sandals.

At the price I got them for, they will make good cheap gifts.

Extra bonus points to the manufacturer for giving shoes to children in Africa. I don't really think this should weigh into your purchasing decision, though, unless you're a hippie going for conspicuous consumption, in which case, these will probably go great with your toyota prius.