These are great shoes; I wear them almost every day for serious walks, walks around town and just at home. This is my second pair of New Balance 574s - the first pair are still working after a few years of use. So I'd say buy them with confidence, with one caveat. I find the New Balance sizes a bit small, so I go half a size up. This works for me, but your mileage may vary. It may be worth buying your first pair at your local shoe store to determine your size and then ordering additional pairsโฆ