Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I used to wear Chinese shoes like these all the time, as they are the next best thing to barefoot for environments (like work) where shoes are required. Then I moved to a city with no Chinatown nearby, and I started wearing moccasins instead; but my favorite moccasin company (Taos Moccasins) went out of business and their chief competitor (Minnetonka Moccasins) uses lasts that don't fit my feet. And for the beating that they took from the abrasive walking surfaces here, they were a bit on the expensive side. So I searched for my old favorite Chinese shoes again, and amid the $20 pairs, Amazon had these ones, for $7 + $3 shipping. Score! The are lightweight, flexible, wide in the toe, have a sole that is substantial enough to protect my feet from the hot (and at times prickly) southern California walking surfaces, while still thin enough to provide ground feel. No squishy padding to let my foot muscles atrophy and to develop craters at weight-bearing points. Furthermore, unlike the shoes I had found in Chinatown in San Francisco, these ones have real (albeit flimsy and cheap) buckles, with holes in the straps, so that the straps don't slip. Yes, they stink of plastic when you first take them out of the bag. It's 24 hours later now, and they don't stink any more. Rebeccah