I was looking for a comfortable sandle that wasnt a flip flop type of sandle. The Bose and Avantree headsets are more comfortable but an okay compromise on price, features and quality. Do they sound as good as my $150+ general use headphones? Not quite - but mighty darn close. One last note, these headphones, as with many others may block sound outside, but definitely amplify some interior sounds of joint movement and impact reverb when running. All four of my girls complained that the heel rubbed them and they got a red spot on their heel after less than an hour. Edit: I was putting them in the wrong ears and for some reason that makes them not work correctly. The original ones did last a full year, so we will see how long these last. I am guessing one bottle will last more than a month depending on how many days of a week u take a shower. ;-) Also, I have worn the shoes for a couple months now, but will be sure to reply with long-term thoughts as well as let you all know if there is something that goes wrong. the straps and the material worked just as they should have.