I love how easy they are to get on and off, and they feel great in the pool. They are much better than my older pair which had to be tied. I bought one pair of these and they worked so great, I decided to get this pair to rotate. And I love the colors!I use these shoes for water aerobics. I find they run a bit wider than the lace-up version.I like that these use Velcro instead of laces that constantly come undone in the water. They don’t fit as tight as laces but they still work well and are comfortable in the water.I've been looking for water shoe with arch support and cushioning and finally found it in this Ryka. Reading reviews people were unhappy with the laced shoes untieing so this Velcro shoe has been perfect. I ordered both an 8.5 and 9 not knowing how they fit and the 8.5 pinched my toes. The 9 is great and the Amazon price of $70 was good.Ryka water shoes are a must for stability & support doing water aerobics classes in the shallow water.If you rinse them well after daily use & allow for air drying they hold up for many months of use.I use 2 pairs and alternate between uses.The Velcro strap is a superior feature because the elastic laces break down in the chlorine & loosenMaking the fit more difficult over time.The well designed arch support is like no other brand of shoe.Any shoe can be useful to protect the feet from pebble textured pool surfaces but the longevity & added features of this Ryka make the cost worth it.The fit is pretty large - and you're not wearing socks, so it makes sense - had to send back for a smaller size. However, they're now perfect and I no longer have cramps in my feet or calves during class - nor any injuries!Have worn Ryka for years and this is the first shoe to run large. Size down.I have tendon issues in my foot and ankle. Walking without shoes in the shower made this worse and I could barely walk the next day after needing a shower. I bought a size bigger than I wear in regular non-water shoes and these work great! LOVE the arch support. The bigger size made easier on and off when the shoes were wet. The top of my foot needed the extra room for a pain free use of the shoes. Would recommend!