These shoes are patent leather. Due to the coating of the material, the use of protective sprays is not recommended for them. Patent leather shoes should be wiped with a dry, soft cloth after use. For care and polishing, it is good to use a conditioner specifically intended for shiny leather, which you can find in shoe stores. One of the characteristics of glossy leather is that wrinkles appear at the folds of the shoes with use.
Please note that in order to avoid stains on the shoe upper the soles are not glued all the way to the edge. The soles are therefore properly glued, and the small gap at the edge of the sole is not a manufacturing defect. With use the gap may become more obvious because the sole of the barefoot shoe is flexible. However, it doesn't mean that the sole is deattaching, there is no loss of function and therefore these cases are not considered as claims.
We highly recommend using a shoe horn. The loop at the back of the shoe is for hanging (i.e., attaching them to the outside of a backpack) and hasn't been designed to withstand tugging.