In reply to terhje:
Congratulations, cool birthday present.
They're certainly not what people would normally recommend as a first shoe, but as long they fit you ok and aren't cripplingly tight that shouldn't be a problem. Most people find downturned shoes feel strange at first, but you'll get used to them.
With any luck they'll encourage you to try to learn tidy footwork asap so as not to trash them too quickly.
