I picked up a pair of these when I was in China, at a Kung Fu school at Wudang Mountain. Many of the students wore these. They were under $5, so I didn't expect much. These are very comfortable and the soles are surprizingly durable. Enough tread walking outdoors, but still smooth enough to do Tai Chi and Kung Fu turns. They've lasted me a year and they're still going strong. The toes are covered with reasonably thick rubber for occasional kicking, but not enough padding for heavy kicking on a bag. The sizes were metric. I got size 42, because 43 was too big for me to wear with no socks. I got the white ones, because that's all the school had and it went with their uniforms. I didn't even know these came in black. If the white ones ever wear out, I'll probably order another pair in black. 4 stars

I just got these today in white. The picture is accurate. The canvas material is light, almost more a twill. The heels is like a brick design... high/low alternate. The toe area treads looks like the siding on a house design.
The toe & heel bottom is actually thicker then my running shoes I bought recently. Still much lighter then most US sneakers & still flexible bottom which is great. There is some good squishy? foam? cushioning in the heel to make it as thick as most US sneakers.
You can see a thick line of glue along the rubber toe portion and along the entire area the canvas meets the sole on the sides.
I'm airing them out now, I don't remember any arch support, but you can always buy an insole. I felt I had way too much room width wise, but I wasn't wearing socks & I think these are designed for men. 4 stars

I recently ordered a pair these for my Tai Chi class. Took exactly 7 days to arrive (processing and shipping time combined). First off, I'd have to agree with the other 3 reviews before me and say that for the price these are good shoes. They do come unlaced, but the laces are included. I got them in black and to quote another reviewer "The picture is accurate."

I wear a Mens size '10 1/2' which converts to 44 international on their sizing chart. I must say without socks these feel great. However, I have yet to try them with socks. I have only worn them for roughly 15 minutes, so I'm not sure as to how long they generally will last when used for daily Tai Chi (Yang style, if it makes any difference). Although, they feel very durable.

Overall, a great item! Perhaps I'll order another pair. =) 4 stars

These shoes are perfect for indoors where you have padded floors. But, you should be aware the soles of the shoes are rounded too. If you are looking for adequate arch support, this shoe is not for you. I use this exclusively for kicking bags or sparring purposes. This shoe will also make you work on your balance too because of the rounded soles. For the price of the shoe, I think its worth it. 4 stars

I bought a pair of these shoes a little more than a year ago, specifically to have something to wear while lifting weights at home. I use them three times a week, and they are comfortable and durable. The grip on the soles is so good that I used them when rock wall climbing, and had no problem at all.
Unlike some of the other comments posted, I do not wear these shoes as an outdoor shoe, so I cannot say how well they will function for that. Also, I wear them comfortably without socks, and suspect that they might be too tight with sweat socks.
One concern that I do have to address is with the size. I guessed at my size, based on the conversion on the website. When I received the shoes, I tried them on with thin, dress socks, only to find that they were too small! I contacted the company and explained the situation, and they were very accommodating. I had to pay to ship the shoes to them, but they sent back the next larger size at no additional charge.
I would definitely recommend the shoes, and intend to buy a new pair, whenever I wear out the current pair. 4 stars