My son is very picky about shoes. He needs moccasins for his school uniform. He tried about a dozen pairs. They were the only ones he liked. He wore them for months and liked them even more when they broke. He has to wear them all day, including a lot of walking. When he outgrew them we went ahead and bought the next size up. Now he's on the third pair. These are the guards. My only complaint is the lack of arch support, which he doesn't seem to notice.