I don't know what it is but every pair of Globe shoes I buy keeps getting worse and worse. The first pair was great and lasted a year, the second pair within 3 months the upper came off the sole, now I have a slope and the heel fell apart on the first day and the shoes squeak like crazy when I walk . I just can't find shoes my size that are A: stylish and don't look like someone in a nursing home in Boca Raton and B: durable. Unfortunately I will never buy Globe shoes again unless I see that they are not of the best quality.