To be honest I was hesitant to buy them through xero or vivo. For $40 you assume something is wrong. After all, you get what you pay for, right? But then the real question is, if these types of shoes are so minimal, then why is Vivo charging as much as they are? Isn't it odd why the vivo primus 3 costs $160 for a thin layer of fabric and some rubber? Vivo is clearly making money off the markup. These shoes might not be that flashy, but I'll tell you something, I hate wearing any kind of shoes as usual. When I'm indoors, I'm always barefoot. The first day I got these shoes, I put them on, ran errands, came home and forgot I had shoes on. As I was about to go to bed, I realized I was still wearing shoes. Honestly, I don't care if they only last a year or less. For $40 I'll keep buying them. These are the cheapest and best shoes I have ever used. If you're thinking about wearing sandals, go for these.