This are solid lifting shoes for a pretty good price. They are the new model with a solid heel (still made of really hard foam) rather than the older model (3.1?) that had spaces in the foam in the heel. I use the shoes for squats (not crazy heavy; less than 300 lbs) and the shoes are rock solid.Laces are long enough (not short and not too long) and the lock down velcro strap works great. The shoes appear to be of good quality, and since you won't be running a marathon in them, I envision they will last for year and years. They are made of a nylon material that has a good look to it, they are comfortable, and look really sharp in my opinion.I read other reviews online and it suggested that you get a half size larger than your normal size since the shoes run narrow. My normal size is a 10, so I got a 10.5. My foot width is normal, and honestly, I could have probably gone with the size 10, rather than going up a size. The 10.5's fit fine, but I didn't see the need to go the half size higher. Just a thought but everyone's feet are different.