I don't know why these sneakers are built like slippers, but the lack of a free-floating tongue is an issue for me. They have a construction where everything is connected to the sides of the shoe, making it less comfortable than it could be with a traditional tongue. The color petrol is more of a royal blue, an unpleasant shoe color and not as subtle as it looks in the pictures. I'm not a fan of this shoe at all and have always been a fan of New Balance.