This does exactly as advertised. Our lawn has not been maintained by the old seller. It needs dethatching and aerating. We had to build these shoes upon arrival because they come in small pieces. From there, my husband gave them a try. The straps on one shoe kept loosening and sliding. His foot would slide out. You'll have to play around with these awhile to figure it out. Once he got it solved, he did the whole front yard. We are waiting on a good rain to see how this helps. This is definitely a money saver and not a time saver. He would not feel comfortable wearing these while mowing the lawn.