My first trip with this bag I used it as a shoulder bag.

The shoulder strap has a nicely padded strap. It is a conventional pad instead of the stretchy material used in the Tom Bihn absolute strap. I've not tested it yet with a heavy load to see how it compares when the bag is fully loaded for comfort with the absolute strap I use on my briefcase.

Here is a shot showing the pad:



Here is a shot trying to show the thickness on the pad:



The most worrisome feature on both the shoulder straps (and the entire bag) to me is the clip to connect the shoulder strap to the bag does not appear as sturdy as the rest of the bag. It doesn't have any locking feature and only has a small metal pin keeping it closed. While I had no problems on my first trip and it has some spring strength to keep it closed, I worry if the bag is jostled while heavily loaded or if the shoulder strap closure takes a hard hit or two it may fail. Here is a picture of the closure: