First, the soles: yes, they ARE as slick as the other reviews say, and you will spend a lot of time sliding around as the coating wears off. Once it does, you're going to realize just how thin the soles of these shoes actually are. I wore these occasionally for several months and at the end of that time, they had worn completely through in several places.
Second, the leather: it's not tanned like more expensive shoes; rather, they are apparently hit with some kind of dye after the shoes are assembled. It's easy to see this when you look at where the upper meets the sole, as in some cases, the color is very inconsistent and is noticeably lighter in several places. To their credit, though, the leather is supple and it hasn't cracked or split in the same manner as the soles.
If you're looking for a cheap and somewhat fashionable pair of chukkas, these are an okay purchase they look great for a while and they DO get noticed; however, if you wear them more than three times a week, they will fall apart fast. You would be better served buying a more expensive pair that has guaranteed quality.
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These recently arrived, so I haven't gotten an opportunity to break them in.The first thing to note is that the leather for "Teak" has a darker stain than the picture suggests -think Steve Madden Men's Bristole boots in "brown leather" -however this isn't a problem for me. They have good leather and stitching, and suggests quality workmanship. Their length is just about right (10.5 for me), although they feel a little tight (again, before breaking them in). The other reviewer wrote that the man-made sole is very slick, and I would agree; but I'll try to report back after a few weeks of wear which I'm sure will improve their traction.
UPDATE:
Since my initial review I've had the opportunity to do a decent amount of walking. As I expected, the slick sole that a reviewer complained about resolved itself after five minutes of use, and the tightness around the sides improved shortly thereafter.
I would consider these boots to be of "mid-level" quality. The leather portion of the upper is quite thin, as a small nick can expose the fabric underneath. The colored finish on the synthetic sole has nearly completely worn off exposing the plain black rubber underneath. Nevertheless, the boots still look quite nice and are very comfortable.
Overall I'm happy with my purchase, however to get quality (leather) footwear one must be willing to spend at least $150, most likely more.
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I have literally never taken the time to write a review on Amazon but felt compelled to for this product to warn anyone else who is thinking of purchasing. I ordered two pairs of the boots (to see which size fit better) and was blown away by how poor quality the boots are. Each pair looked like they were painted brown and had white spots the size of a thumb where it looks like someone forgot to paint. Also, in one of the pairs the color was so different between each of the shoes that it looked like they were from different style of boot.By far the worst ever purchase on Amazon. Bed Stu should be ashamed to offer a product of such poor quality.
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These are terribly made shoes, even for the low price. For one, the outside is painted brown, and shows lots of streaks and patchy marks. One shoe is almost an entirely different shade as a result. Do not buy! These are not a cheaper alternative to other high-quality boots... they're just cheaply made.I'm updating this after a week of wearing the shoes I urge you not to buy these shoes. They are a very light tan shoe painted brown. I thought I would be able to polish the lighter marks away, but that didnt work. They just look terrible. This was hands down a disappointing purchase.
