I work in trucks and make a living as a metal worker and I have a really hard time finding shoes to wear in my shop. The choice seems to be either heavy duty, flat-soled leather work boots that will kill your feet in a matter of hours, or comfortable hiking and running shoes made of synthetic materials that will melt or catch fire when exposed to welding sparks. Most of the time I have to choose between pain in the soles of my shoes or pain from burns on the top of my foot. I know these shoes are not marketed as work shoes, but they are leather, no laces or laces. In between, they work very well to prevent sparks. Plus, they're comfortable, really comfortable. It usually takes a while for a new pair of shoes to break in but I put them on when they arrived and have been wearing them every day since (about 2 weeks) and never thought about my feet and that's exactly how it was. should be. I'm a little uncomfortable that they're such good looking shoes and I know I'll ruin them in the store, but comfortable shoes that don't catch fire are worth it. One note: before ordering, I ordered the Pro version of the Pro-Grip with a different non-slip sole. When I tried them on I immediately put them back in the box because they were half a size too big. After reading some reviews I found that the Pro Grip version is larger so I ordered one size up and they fit perfectly. I don't need non slip soles so they are perfect for me. I only wore the other ones for a few minutes, so I can't comment on them. UPDATE 6-28-16. I've had these shoes for a little over a year and although they're starting to show their age they still feel great. The soles are still intact but are showing some wear and the rubber unit that goes to the toe is starting to peel off. The elastic has stretched a bit and the insoles are pretty well made BUT I wear them in my workshop almost every day which is quite an obnoxious environment. They have held up much better than any other shoe I've tried, about 4 times better as I typically only wear a pair of shoes from the store for 3-4 months. I've considered replacing them soon, but I think I'll just buy new insoles and see how long they last. I loved these shoes when I received them and am even more impressed a year later.