Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm a scientist (who happens to be a woman in her mid 30's) and I have to wear closed toed shoes every day. Honestly, I wear sneakers most of the time, but I wanted to find a casual and comfortable shoe that is also cute and fashionable, so I decided to give these a try. They really are comfortable right out of the box, and cute with straight leg or skinny jeans/trousers. The quality is very fine and the fit is good. I am normally an 8.5 so that's what I ordered. When I got them I wasn't convinced that they weren't a little big though so I ordered size 8's just to compare. When they came they were definitely a little too small so I sent them back. A couple things to note about these shoes: 1) The sole that comes in the shoe is...interesting. It's comfortable enough and VERY cushy and springy, but took some getting used to. First, it's higher in the heel for some reason so it will change the way you walk and how tall you are (slightly). I don't know why they did that. Maybe they wanted more cushion in the heel. Whatever the case, I'm not wild about the additional heel height but it's not the end of the world. Also, the sole is, for lack of a better description, bumpy. This is on purpose of course, but there are dozens of little raised bumps all over the sole. Again, I assume it's supposed to be for added comfort, but I could do without those as well. I'm sure some people like them. I may end up trying to find other soles to use instead. We'll see. 2) You WILL have to double knot these laces to keep them from coming untied. Nope, don't think you're better at tying tight knots than I am. Just count on it. That's not a huge issue either, though the laces aren't super long to begin with. I love the tassels on the laces because they're really cute, but they also have a tendancy to make a little bit of a whacking noise when you walk. Maybe that's just my gait, but I did notice it. Overall I like these shoes for their comfort and quality! I wish I looked more like the girls in the pictures when I wear them, but whatever, that's not the shoes fault. My husband calls them my "Ellen DeGeneres boots". Take that for what it's worth. (for the record I love Ellen) :) While the quality is very nice, I doubt I'll be spending this much to buy another pair in another color. Hopefully this has been helpful for someone else!