They seem very sturdy and well built. I can charge my phone and my AirPods at the same time! I have these in a few colors, as well as the flatform, both are my favorite super comfortable sandals. But now I can transport 3 kayaks at once on my trailer, plus an inflatable fishing boat. In my opinion, your best bet for fit would be to size up a half of a size or even a whole size (as I did). I havent tried podcasts or spoken tracks (with no music) - I feel like this could bother me a lot more. Theyre hard to find and this one is quite good. Very comfortable and they look great! Remember that), without a need for an amp. Now its mounted on my wall it looks amazing it looks like art