These shoes are very high quality and provide excellent support for someone like me who needs ankle protection. They are sturdy and comfortable but still very light. I use them for striking, grappling, and they work great. My only complaint, and the reason I gave them four stars instead of five, is that I had to send the first pair back and order a full size larger than I wear. I normally wear a men's 10 or 10 1/2 but in these I wear an 11 1/2. Now that I have the right size, I really like them. Karate Depot drop-shipped them (little to no standing inventory of their own), so order well in advance or pay the extra to get them sooner.