This is a great pad, and very thick and sturdy for highball landings. A couple of unique features are that it folds into a mini-futon couch for sitting around and a velcro flap for connecting other Mad Pads together. My only complaints are that it had NO instructions or literature explaining the product (or warranties?), and it's made cheaply in China. This became very obvious after 6 months, when one of the plastic cinch straps broke. Mad Rock offered no help, only a fruitless diy recommendation. Cheap components, but a solid performer for its core purpose! 2-YEAR UPDATE: Would also consider the Metolius Fat Bastard for replacement. Foam is getting very weak and needs replacement or a plastic insert to regain rigidity. Not very impressed, but it's still decent for the price.

I would have rated these a two, due to poor durability, but I had to give them the benefit of the doubt since this was my first pair--and your first pair tends to wear out quicker until you are adept at footwork.

Nonetheless, the wear and tear came immediately. Even befre using them, they showed signs of delamination around the edges. Pretty soon, chunks were coming off from the edges, and eventually a piece broke free from the big toe area. It wore through the rand and the shoes were rendered unusable. This was after only 6 months of 3-time-a-month use.

If longevity/$$ is not an issue, the shoes were technically wonderful. I prefer them over the 5.10 Anasazi velcro. Edging was outstanding, smearing was decent. The velcro closures were as secure as a full lace-up. The heel could have been tighter, but was never a liability. Overall, I would not buy these again, but I'm glad I checked them out.