Alright, here's the deal. I've been running in Altra shoes for 6 years now. There is almost always something good to say about them. But every year they become more expensive. So I didn't fool myself into thinking that I could get the same quality shoes for around $40 with these Whitin cushioned shoes. However, they fit well and were quite comfortable right off the bat, so I decided to throw caution to the wind (I DO NOT RECOMMEND that) and went ahead and ran 10 miles in them as soon as I put them on.1. They are a bit heavier than some of my best boots2. The pillow was soft but adequate.3. The sock had enough room for my foot.4. The heel cup is deep and you need a fairly high toe box. Standard lacing fixes shoes perfectly.6. I had no foot pain at the end of a run (I almost always have metatarsalgia when my shoes are too tight)7. After 10 km the ball of the foot was a bit worn. So what was I thinking? They were a pleasant surprise. For such a price one cannot expect the quality of high-end shoes. But I was pleasantly surprised. I wore them to work the next day and walked around the hospital comfortably all day. I walked another 2 miles that night with my wife and the shoes were fine. If they last 150 miles they will totally exceed my expectations and I will get more!