My husband and son love these, but I don't get the concept of Wallabees. I think they're ugly, and there's zero insulation so they can't be warm, but men think they're comfortable, "manly", and will last forever. They do not last forever; in fact, they barely last 3 months before the paper-thin suede starts to wear, and you start to see sock (or toe) through the shoes. But the men will not care; they would probably use duct tape or rope to hold these paper-think wafers on foam together, and do you know why? Because the entire shoe could wear away, but the physics-defying material that sews the Wallabee together is indestructible, and this makes men proud. "Yes," they'll say. "The suede is paper-thin; the tongue of the shoe is, after two months, non-existent, but the soles are still on, and the shoe is held together by *good craftsmanship*." (That's something men are proud of; money well spent on the labors of a hard-working "cobbler"). No, instead of buying new shoes, the men will gift you with a bottle of "suede cleaner", never-minding that there is no suede left to clean, and expect you to fix these netted-sandals.Just, don't try to "save" the suede — again, the super-string that holds the Wallabee together literally lasts forever, though the suede seems designed to last, at best, through a mere puff of wind. The poor Wallabee will start to fall limp and apparently "shrink"; this is when men will proudly think, "these are just getting broken in". But their toes or socks will be showing through the holes in the suede, and you'll either have to live with the embarrassment of going to dinner dressed to the nines with the man's socks showing through these "man shoes", or you're going to have to swap the used Wallabee with a new Wallabee every three months, and pretend like you used magic woman skills to repair the paper-thin suede.Why five stars, then? Because (1) the man WILL find out about the Wallabee one day, and (2) the one redeeming value of Wallabees is, they're all exactly the same, and men don't notice when you toss their trashed, see-through shoes for a new pair!Indeed, it gets pricey. $80 you think? Oh no: the first pair is $80, but invariably, the same color shoe will have to be shipped from England for the full $125 plus shipping. Sometimes, you'll get lucky and find a shade close to the original shade; it doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, I literally replaced my husband's black Wallabees with a white/tan color, and he believed the suede cleaner and my hard labor removed the dirt from the shoe. Ultimately, it simply doesn't matter: all Wallabees feel the exact same. So every three months, punch out about $80-$130 for the shoes, wait for sleep or drink to overtake the man, then replace the old Wallabees with the new ones. So the man can be happy with life in general.Tip: it is best if you make clear you utter disdain for the appearance of the shoe. It comes naturally, so it's not a lie. This way, even if they know the money is slipping out of their parched back accounts every few months, they'll be too filled with pride in their Wallabees to much think about the loss of funds.I've been doing this for almost 24 years. I've attempted all sorts of changes of foot apparel, but take it from me: do not waste your time. The minute a man tries on a Wallabee is akin to being "born". Five stars because this, the Wallabee, is the secret to a man's happiness and well-being. Every step they take, they consider the man "cobbling" his Wallabee together with tools that haven't been in existence for centuries, and the man feels whole. And if all they need to feel "whole" and satisfied is some 3-month-lasting ugly shoes, just get him the shoes. You can't put a price on the lack of a man wallowing in self-pity; it's priceless. Get a second job if you must, but order these Wallabees every three months, and witness a changed man.
