I'm wearing these shoes right now, and quite frankly, I adore them! They are plenty sturdy (I've tripped a few times, LOL) and the heel holds up great! The grips on the bottom are subtle and yet stop you from slipping too bad. Though I hadn't worn any heels before this (I jumped straight to 6 inches) after learning to walk in them they are the greatest! I'm so glad I got this! -Alicia