I've tried numerous brands and styles of safety toe in my adult life. This is my first experience with Keen. I bought these as a replacement for my combat boots that I wore during the later part of my military career. I now work in a machine shop and I am on my feet, on oily concrete, for about 10 hours a day. Some days I'm walking nonstop, some days I'm standing in the same spot the entire time, some days I'm crouched, hunched, or on the trapeze 40 feet in the air on a beam. I needed a shoe that could handle all of that without killing my feet/legs/back. The two biggest reasons for buying these are my back/leg pain from my old ones, and with winter approaching, the slippery heel of the combat boots. Those things might as well be ice skates. I've had these for several weeks now. Out of the box, I could tell they are going to last a while. It had nice thick, sturdy leather, a scuff resistant material covering the toe and lower arch, and a good tread. The insole seemed okay at the time. Upon trying them on, they fit well but didn't feel much different than my old boots in the comfort category. I figured they just needed to be broken in. On the first day at work with them, I noticed several things. I used a hiker's lacing to keep my heel as far back as possible because they were a little snugger around the toe than anticipated.. bad idea. The "padding" at the top of the shoe put a nice sized indent into my achilles that was almost too painful to bear after 10 hours of wear. I also noticed the heaviness and bulk of the shoe, most likely a product of it's sturdy construction. There is so much padding around the ankle that wearing normal slacks can be annoying when they ride up on top of the shoe after kneeling or getting out of the car. Day two was somewhat better. I used a modified hiker's lace to give me a little more room. Unfortunately that made the bunching of the pant leg a little worse. After several days of adjusting, as well as them breaking in a little (very stiff leather at first), they are actually nice to wear. However, even after several weeks, I still suffered from back and foot pain at the end of the day. I turned my attention to the insole. After pulling the removable one out a few days ago, I noticed it was very worn and now hard as a rock. I immediately hopped online and ordered a pair of gels. I got them today so stay tuned on an update on that. After a short test drive this afternoon, the gels seem, by far, way more comfortable than the original inserts. I'll keep you posted. Pros: - Well built and sturdy - Great slip resistance - Excellent foot protection (saved mine a few times already) and scuff resistance - Look cool (I've gotten several positive comments) Cons: - Heavy and bulky - Horrible "foot bed" (insole) - Very long break in time - Price (I payed $147) Bottom line: So far, overall, these are just okay. If you want a shoe that will protect your tootsies and still look nice in a hostile environment, these might be a good option, but if you are looking for out-of-the-box comfort, I say look elsewhere.
