I give shoes five stars when it comes to looks and quality, but there are a few problems. 1.) In a size 9 there was movement on the right heel. 9's have always worked for me, so they're definitely big. 2.) The tassels are not coiled, so the 9s I originally got before I changed them to an 8.5 had the tassels slightly bent and deformed. You should wrap the brushes in rubber bands, plastic, or whatever to protect them during shipping. The 8.5 brushes were in good condition although not protected. 3.) They are pictured with stocks, so they must be with stocks. I was a little annoyed that they didn't come with the cool Smythe and Digby stocks they were pictured with.