"I had never tried Vans, having been A Converse girl growing up. I wore Converse because they were a classic American tradition. I stopped buying them once they began to be made mainly in China. I was intrigued by the fact that Vans has been a family owned American company for the last 50 years. I wanted a cute pair of kicks that I could walk for hours in when I go to Chicago or New York on occasion. I also wanted them to be kind of different, not just a plain boring color. The fact that they were suede and polka-dotted made them stand out, yet still blend well with my personal style. The added bonus was that they are really comfortable to wear; there is plenty of cushioning built into the shoe. I generally wear an 8, and their size 8 fit me perfectly with a light pair of socks. I couldn't be happier with this purchase!"