text: These are shoes that you'll probably want to check out in person.  The pair I received appears legitimate -- came in an Ahnu box, has the Ahnu trademarks, looks superficially like the picture -- but the construction is at best middling quality.  On the third day of wear, the flimsy heel loop ripped out.  It appears to have been merely glued in.  The laces are not the ones pictured here and in other reviews, but are instead much thinner, and not really long enough to tie properly.  It looks to me like Ahnu is cutting corners.  Ahnu assured me that, if I paid to ship the shoes back to them, and if they happened to find the shoes defective, then they would replace them.  This is a far cry from the manner in which companies like Merrell handle problems with their $140 shoes.  Although the sugarpines are comfortable (so far), I worry that something further will break, and that customer support will be just as awkward the next time.