This might not be brief, but it will be efficient (and worth it)!
1. I bought/tried these shoes because, within six months, I have always ripped the front of my new balance shoes (for ~ a decade) requiring new ones. Hence I waited 1 year + to write this review...
2. These shoes are as comfortable as new balance and still look new! So no need to constantly replace them... Or baby them (I'm hard on shoes).
As you can imagine the steel keeps the front of the shoe from ripping. So never again...
3. I run (with my dog -- fast) in these shoes, they are that comfortable.
4. Therefore they are perfect from a security perspective. Not only can no one stomp on your foot and do you harm, but imagine getting kicked with these suckers on! Also, you could run away if you needed to...
5. These shoes are so comfortable, I routinely think I'm wearing my slippers and thus fail to swap them when I get home. I've caught myself many times realizing I wore them all day.
6. I made a mistake when I bought my first pair. I knew I would get lazy and not change shoes to walk my dog, so I wanted to avoid smashing my toes against the steel plate during a run. If you're a runner of any distance, you know how much damage that can do to your feet. So I bought 10s instead of 9.5. Four months later I bought 9.5 because they clearly accounted for that in the design. And the 10s were too big. My feet were sliding around too much in those, even with pads in them.
7. They are roomy vertically so I doubled up some pads in them (the 9.5s) thus increasing their comfort. Yet they remain roomy/comfortable. I never bump up against the plate.
8. You can put HEAVY things on them, I often hang drywall, and you can set it on your shoes feeling no pressure on your feet while keeping the drywall off the ground.
9. They are a tad on the warm side. Terrific in winter, and even good for walking in snow, but in the summer, on a hot day my feet will sweat. Not wonderful. They breathe, but there are tradeoffs. IE It's hard to breathe through a steel plate. So I can't blame the manufacturer, I still love them.
10. The sole is not particularly flexible, it doesn't exactly conform/bend to your feet during a run, but I wouldn't think buyers of shoes like these would care. I got used to it, but it's worth mentioning in case others might (care). And that leads to my next point:
11. During a run, a sharp rock came up through the bottom of my first pair. I was shocked because that never happened before. And I suspect the ridgidness of the sole may have contributed. They weren't destroyed by that, but if you're walking around a construction site, be careful. Safe on top, not so sure about the bottom. In a year + that hasn't happened with this pair. They're not bad soles, but perhaps the only room for improvement.
12. I never thought someone stomping on my foot could do me harm. I thought that was ridiculous in movies until I dropped something heavy on my foot 2 years ago. Wow - ouch! So even if you don't do construction, these are a great upgrade to your personal security for that reason alone.
13. Even with the steel plate and sturdy construction, I don't find them all that heavy (anymore), but they are heavier and a bit clunky, runners will notice and it took some getting used to. Eventually my laziness, about changing shoes, won out and now I'm used to running in them. And I no longer view them as such a drag. For several months, I loathed running in them until one day I just forgot.
14. I don't consider them waterproof. Water resistant maybe, but don't sell your waders. Your feet will get wet if you submerge them.
15. If you want shoes that will last forever, look good without maintenance, increase your personal security, protect your feet, and that you will eventually find very comfortable, these are for you.
SSgt. B