To begin with, the quality of construction is quite good. I haven't tried too many holsters in my life (I'm new to concealed carry), but compared with the ones I have handled, yours is constructed the best of all of them. The elastic seems durable and the materials and fit-and-finish of the soft backing is excellent. I am quite impressed with the quality of the product, especially for the price paid.
Having said that, I really want to like the holster, but it just doesn't fit me very well, and I think that there are a few reasons for that:
There's a lot of "extra" material in the backing. By that, I mean that it seems that there are "universal" back padding sizes used to fit a lot of different firearms. The compact holster certainly covers all of my Shield, but there's also a lot of material on the sides, bottom, and top of the firearm. More than is really necessary. I understand that concessions have to be made for universal-fit products.
The back pad of the holster completely covers the slide and grip of the gun. Excellent for comfort, but it also makes getting a secure grip on the firearm very difficult. I thought this wouldn't be a big deal, and that I'd be able to slide my thumb between the grip and the back pad, but I really can't. The only way I can draw the gun is to get my middle and ring fingers cupped under the grip, which is not very secure. A "combat cut" here would be a significant improvement, and might be enough to overcome all three of these negative points.
The holster with the gun ends up being thicker than I expected. With the belt clip centered on the holster, you get a pretty thick "stack" going on...you get the clip's backing and elastic, the gun itself, then the padded backer. It ends up adding nearly ½" of thickness to the gun. This is not insignificant. With such a large backer pad, consider using two belt clips, one on either side of the gun; this may help lessen the "stacking" effect.
I regret to say that the holster doesn't fit me well, and I am requesting a return. As a North Carolina resident and a promoter of small business, I want to extend my appreciation for your company and your product; I will be watching your website for future products, and will not hesitate to buy from you again in the future if I see a product that I think will meet my needs.
