The soft nubuck keeps blisters from forming on rub spots. Its only a 1 star because when I recieved them I used them pretty lightly, used them around 3 times, never treated them tough. I had to open the battery port and rotate the battery without rhyme or reason in the hopes that the product would turn on. I recommend this for anyone that wants a pair of nice comfy slippers for around the house! Didnt want anything too expensive but if I buy cheaper the sound isnt as good. it?s bc im old and I had to ask my son ?why are these things falling out?? And of course he showed my how to properly fit them inside my ear. Since there are 4 hooks I think they would probably support a fair amount of weight. They are a joy to wear, dont make noise when I walk across linoleum, are easy to slip on and off, and keep my feet nice and warm on chilly winter evenings. Unlike some headphone I have, where you can clearly see a small misalignment of stitching or uneven-ness on the surface of the headphone, MDR 1000x has nothing of this sort. Again, all her boots, sneakers, and ultimately a different pair of slippers are all within a half size, so there is definitely an issue with the sizing of these.