The shoes are very cushioned and comfy, but no arch support. The upper is a thick mesh material, I guess floppy, mesh, so on the plus side it conforms to your foot, on the minus side if offers no structure or support. I'm more accustomed to stability shoes like running and trail shoes and these are not like that at all, which may be a plus or minus for someone else. If you have balance issues, weak ankles, or need arch support I don't recommend these. The cushioning is so thick and the mesh is so flexible that with weak ankles and needing stability it actually throws my balance off. I would need to strengthen my feet and ankles before wearing these. I think even though the mesh gives some stretch, there wasn't enough room for my toes the sole wasn't wide enough. Even so, they were so comfy I didn't want to take them off and reluctantly returned them. So I think they'd make a lot of people happy. I guess you can tell that from the reviews. I can't speak to the traction of the soles on wet surfaces, they don't seem grippy though. My runners and trail shoes with vibram soles have a bit of stickiness to them, these don't. I suspect they'd slip, but someone else would have to weigh in on that. The shoes seemed a bit narrow and long for their size, I normally go by EU size, because that seems more consistent than US sizing. Generally I buy shoes that provide a bit more room in the toebox than average, that also give me room for a higher instep (and arch support), typically merrells, saucony, keens, etc. Asics have been good before too, they just wore out quicker than average so I stopped buying them. I've been looking at other brands, I've heard good things about sketchers for walking around on pavement or hard surfaces. The past couple of years I've found my go to shoes are narrower than they used to be, and I've heard others say the same. I've tried men's shoes, because they run wider, but the fit is not good for me. There are some women who find men's shoes fit well. And from what I've seen, men's shoes (as well as clothing) tend to be cheaper and better made, so that's a sweet deal if it works for you. In terms of my old brands, I find that they're now too narrow and the last is different. The last doesn't conform well to my foot like it used to do. It's not as supportive or comfortable. My old go to shoes were merrells, loved the jungle mocs and their hiking boots. I also really liked keens. I've seen others comment similarly so I know it's not just me. I think this is part of shrinkflation, manufacturers are cutting back on materials where they can. Because my old brands have basically changed how their shoes fit, and I'm having a hard time finding a good fit with "mainstream" brands, I am now looking at "barefoot" shoes. Shoes that have a curved last, narrow heel, wider toebox. This likely means altras, lems, and similar. I'm curious if more room in the toebox means that my toes spread out and help me balance better, and maybe I won't need supportive insoles or orthotics, arch, or ankle support. And that would save money I suppose if I don't have to buy a pair of shoes AND and also supportive insoles. We'll see. Not many of them seem to have much cushioning, I might not need as much as these sketchers have, but hopefully something will work out!