I thought Clarks were reputable, and for $80ish dollars, you'd expect that; so when I saw others had quality concerns, decided to give it a shot.  However, I just returned these due to quality problems: after wearing these only four times, I noticed the sole was beginning to separate from the boot.  The shoes were very nice (looking)—I am sad I had to return them.  Order on the smaller side.  I wear a US 8 and got a US 7; they were snug, but after breaking them in, I would imagine they would be nice (but mine didn't last long enough to break them in).  If I knew these would last less than a week, I would've passed.