This is a sturdy and durable bench, and it looks well-made. Be prepared to spend at least an hour assembling it, and be especially careful about matching the parts with their corresponding steps. Now that it's finished, it looks great in our entry way. The drawers are useful for keeping track of keys and other miscellaneous items, and the shoe cubbies are plenty big for most shoes. My husband's size 14 shoes fit one to a cubby, but my size 9 shoes fit two to a cubby with no problems. Despite the assembly time, we highly recommend this product.