yes mine indeed had a smell but I left it out to air out for a few days and there is absolutely no remnant of the manufactured smell. I have learned that if a piece of rubber rips or cracks, you can repair it by gluing the cracks, however this doesnt always work and depends on the quality of the soles and thickness of the foam rubber. Really like that theres good traction on the bottom of the shoe yet it is still flexible/easy to bend. I start playing my music and am immediately shocked to hear that the sound quality that Ive come to love on the M50Xs had been horribly degraded. Sort of like winter sneakers. To make a comparison. Not only do they fit in the case, they also don?t slip out of your ears and they are EASY to install. This product completely failed and Support told me there was nothing they could do. Schöne Höhen, Mitten und Tiefen. We love this!