I have worn Rockport walking shoes for years, but this is the first time I tried the World Tour Classic model. On the basis of other reviews I was concerned about the size -- some people think they're too big, some say they run small. Well, in my experience the fit was perfect.

This was important to me, because the other model I've been wearing (Prowalker) is in fact now running smaller than it used to. Weird. Based on comments from other users here, evidently there is some real inconsistency in Rockport's overall quality control since they moved production to Vietnam. So, maybe I just got lucky, who knows.

I have the Nubuck version of the shoe, and I suspect the material is more pliable than on other shoes made of so-called "tumbled leather." In any case, the shoes I received fit right out of the box. And, to my pleasant surprise, they still fit fine even after having custom orthotics inserted in place of the original footpad.

Ironically, I had the shoes for a day or so before I read the tag that had come with them. The tag bears the "American Podiatric Medial Association Seal of Acceptance" which is described on the Amazon product page. I don't know if that Seal means anything, but I will say that the shoes seem quite stable and give plenty of support.

The construction of the upper could be better, where the laces and tongue join with the front of the shoe. There's a very large, rough-edged piece of leather and stitching at that point, which could rub the top of a person's foot, especially if they have a very high arch.

It was strange and disconcerting to find that, because the rest of the shoe's interior is quite smooth. I thought it would be an issue for me, but luckily it has not been, and I've worn the shoes a couple of days with good results so far.

The chocolate nubuck is a good-looking color and design for casual or dress-down wear. All things considered, I think it was a good choice at the special sale price Amazon offered when I got mine. But I do not think I'd be nearly as happy if I'd paid $80 or $90 or whatever the "list" price is. Try to catch a sale if you can.