“Nice, but with a drawback!”

“I'm very pleased with how these shoes feel on my feet once I succeed in getting them on! They are extremely comfortable. However, I cannot understand why they were manufactured using such inflexible elastic strips across the tops - they make putting them on very, very difficult. My feet are quite small but I still have trouble. I'm thinking of having a cobbler look at them to see if removing the elastic is a good option. It's a shame, because once the shoes are on, they feel heavenly. I have not worn them much as I fear my feet may swell by being compressed by the shoes' tight opening. I'm wondering if the reason Sierra Trading's price is so reasonable has something to do with the drawback I have described?”