As Good As Ever....
If you've ever worn Chuck Taylor high tops before, you will know what I mean when I say these feel great on your feet. The leather feels just as comfortable as the typical canvas product, with the extra perk of looking a bit nicer and staying clean a little easier.I already knew these end to run large, so usually being a size 10 in men's shoes/sneakers, I ordered a full size down. They fit as expected. I know some people order just a half size down, and that's fine if that works for you. I usually order a full size down on Converse high tops and a half size down on low tops. With the high top I like to lace almost all the way up (leaving first eyelet, sometimes two, empty). The sneaker length is ample even when ordered a full size down, and I know over time the width will stretch slightly, so I find a full size down offers a good fit, even if it feels ever so slightly snug for a day or two.As far as women, the conventional wisdom is to order 2 sizes down if you are ordering a man's size in these. Example: If you want a women's 6, order a men's 4.As far as color, the optical white is a nice looking leather sneaker. The leather has a very nice, soft pebbled grain. The sneakers come with flat, white laces, which on a men's sneaker is about 54" long. You can, of course, swap these out with an array of colors.TIP: Lacing style is a matter of preference, and most people do crisscross and some start over the first pair of eyelets, and others from underneath. I go "old school" with bar lacing. One method is as follows, but you can Google various ways to lace up Chuck Taylors.Bar lace:1. String the laces evenly over the top of the bottom two eyelets.2. From underneath, put the outside lace through the second outside eyelet.3. Take the inside lace (the one threaded through just the first inside eyelet) and thread it from underneath through the third outside eyelet.4. Repeat Step 3, with the outside lace, over the sneaker and back through the underneath of the third inside eyelet.5. Keep repeating these step, next taking the lace from the second inside eyelet goes through the forth outside eyelet, etc.The price on Amazon is very competitive.You do need to keep any eye out for counterfeits. Telltale signs are poor stitching, uneven pin striping, and the relief of the work Converse on the shoe bottom, along with the absence of the size; as of this writing, at least on the means' sneakers, there should be the size in relief on each sneaker sole.I know Converse had sold out for licensing, and I think Nike presently owns the name, so I was worried the quality would change. But these look and feel just like I remembered, and the quality and full sizing is still there.