These are real shoes, like they used to make them, with real durable rubber soles. None of that foam garbage that boys can wear down in 6 weeks or less... These have light wear (mostly just the branding on the insole) as my son never wore these as his main shoes and grew out of them quickly. No rips, tears, holes and the soles have little wear. Great for that tyke still learning to tie their shoes, with the Velcro Closure.