Such a nice looking wine holder ! Hopefully my experience was a fluke. The braided cord is durable and is a decent length. The shoes is somewhat elevated giving a little extra height which I like. Nonetheless, I opted to go with this bench because of the cost compared to other leg extension/curl machines. They are also true to size. Will continue to purchase this product. We have a small entry area in our living room with a place for shoes and jackets. Chat is crystal clear, and I had never noticed all the ambient noise in the game environment until picking these up. Solid and tight bass and mid.