I was hoping to replace a pair of great Merrells that I've had for years.  They were discontinued, so I tried these.  The front was cut oddly low, not totally covering my toes, which made the shoe fit strangely.  With the strap fastened, I could easily pull my toes out of the shoe. Since I've worn Merrells for years, and shoes with straps for years, and never encountered this before, I think the design is just weird.  I returned them.