One other observation I thought I'd toss out to you guys after going through dozens of sole pics on ebay for any listing that had CA in the title... and that's the fact that most are fairly simple designs. I've seen multiple horizontal lines, zigzag lines, waffled, and grids, but NONE of them are very decorative like this design. They are pretty plain. That makes me wonder why if most manufacturers opt for a simpler design, why would this one decide to get more creative with a sole pattern? It's like they are trying to stand out from the rest.
I think the answer to that riddle could lead us down the right road.