I bought a pair of these to replace another pair of worn out Air Max's. These are similar, but don't have quite the cushioning as the old pair. The previous pair had the best cushioning of any shoe I've ever worn. This pair still has good cushioning overall though. There's virtually no protection from water. You foot will get soaked in the rain or if you step in a puddle. Fortunately the shoe dries very quickly though. The fit is good, the old pair ran somewhat small, these are more true to size. Overall, I'm quite happy with them.