I saw this shoe had good reviews in the weightlifting community and I wanted a higher heeled weightlifting shoe as my previous shoes were quite low at 0.6 inches. The shoes fit very well. and feel safe. I increased the size in half as reviews suggested it might be too small for some people. I was glad I increased the size by half. My feet are a little wider than average and they feel snug, but going half a size up isn't too snug. I like the extra ankle mobility. The soles are pleasant to the touch and have a good grip, but are still stiff, as expected. I also like that you can remove/replace the Velcro. I hope they last forever because they aren't cheap.