First of all, I live in Southern California and rarely wear shoes other than sandals. I've worn many different types of sandals and I have a book to write about them all ;) These are my mid-height shoes. Comfortable enough for a 5 mile walk down fire road. I will not wear them in rugged mountains; To do this, use sandals with a thicker and firmer sole, slightly larger in width than normal sandals. This turned out to be absolutely perfect for me considering I don't like having my foot pinched. I