There is a manufacturing (sewing) defect on the interior heel of the right shoe of the pair that were sent to me. The defect has caused noticeable buckling which is unsatisfactory to me. I had to return them. Also, the inner sole seemed to be popping out of the shoe upon opening the box - which seemed like a bad sign. I had owned a pair of these for 3 years and they began to look too dirty to wear but I would still use them for work shoes because they were so comfortable. Sadly, I feel like New Balance's QC standards have lowered since the last time I purchased these exact shoes. ::sigh::  I'm disappointed because the material is very classy looking (to me) and I liked having a super comfy pair of sneaks that were once frequently complimented by strangers. Alas, the experience was meant not to be duplicated. I will be most likely moving on from the 442 line which I had been loyal to for roughly 5 years.<br /><br />Sidebar: I also purchased http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H2YJJ4U?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_16 at around the same time from a different vendor with the inner sole popping out - but no puckering sewing defects.