They're leather, not suede, but the closest I've had to Elvis's "blue suede shoes." Shiny, classy, well fitting (a tad snug--you may want to order a half size bigger than your US size), with one blue pouch per shoe (so you can put them in your duffle bag even if the soles are dirty). Each sole arrives with 2 thin plastic covers (one over front, one over back); remove them to expose actual floor-gripping sole before wearing the shoes. Firm and durable. There was an unpleasant smell when I unboxed the shoes, but it dissipated quickly. They were a little uncomfortable when I first wore them, but it didn't take long for them to "break in" and they're fine now. If you're not bold enough to wear blue, you can get brown; if you think blue is too tame, you can get red :-).