I just received my Pine Trees, I took them out of the box and slipped them on. They felt so great I immediately started bouncing Quing Gong-style around my apartment. No wires, no bamboo, just jumping from kitchen counter to couch to dining table...etc. I barely managed to remove them before I succumbed to the temptation to jump off my third story balcony to the ground below (shoes felt so good, I knew no harm would come to me if I did--I'd just roll out of the fall). They are great shoes, but dangerous. Keep your balcony door locked. ;-)