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C. G. King
February 09, 2016
Order half size up for length. Width is ample.
So happy with these boots and that’s saying a lot since I have so many foot problems. It’s always worrisome to buy shoes online so I’ll try to describe these best I can. First of all I won’t be making any 20 mile hikes. I’m over 70 and need boots to allow for my farm chores and bad weather, not mountain climbing, but if these work for me, how much better for those who are young and spry.I’ve overweight and my feet tend to swell quite a bit, plus I have fused big toe joints. I can no longer get tall boots on at all and even regular tennies can pose a problem if I can’t open them wide. I need a big toe box and decent width, but have narrow heels. I need a cushiony insole, but also arch support (flat feet), low heel to toe height ratio and a rocker bottom to help with my stride because of bad ankles. It seems an impossible set of requirements. So it was with great trepidation that I ordered these boots.Pretty much all I can wear anymore is what my grandchildren call my ‘Air Grammas’, thick leather New Balance shoes with a wide tongue and stabilizing sole. Boots and shoes I could wear previously have been relegated to the back of the closet. These include Mephisto walkers and Timberland and Ariat boots among others. Heels too high, tongues too narrow, not enough flexibility or too much, you name it.These boots offer easy on/off while even having an attached tongue to aid in waterproofing. The toe box is ample and the width good, but you have to order a half size up for length. I did that and they are perfect. Even though the toe box width is generous, the heel is narrow enough to eliminate slippage. The built-in ankle stabilization is very helpful and the modified rocker bottom makes walking relatively easy for me, which is quite something. Few boots offer that. The padded ankle collar and height is very comfortable. The sole at the heel is not much higher than that at the toe which also makes walking easier for me. The sole is sturdy, but flexible at the same time. The mid-foot support is surprisingly good for my flat feet and although I often replace insoles with orthotics or other insoles to help my various problems, the ones that come in these boots are great just as they are.Normally I wear a 9B although on some shoes the B is too tight. That’s a problem with my narrow heels because a wide width affects heel width too. I bought these in 9.5B and they are perfect.I kept the packing, so sure was I that I’d have to return the boots, but it can all go out now. There will be no return. Very happy indeed.
✔ Verified Purchase
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Yvonne K
September 15, 2013
LOVE these hikers!
I'm an avid fishing person and two weeks before our trip to Canada I decided I needed to buy a pair of waterproof hikers. I went to Gander Mountain and didn't like anything they had. Then to Fin Feather Fur. The sales person explained Keen hikers were made with more room in the front of the shoe or across the ball of the foot and toes, which has always seemed like an issue for me. I tried them on and fell in love! The shoes were comfy and roomy and had great arch support, which was an added bonus. However, my size wasn't in stock so I went home and checked Amazon. Not only did they have the exact same make and model, but this color was on sale for $40 less than FFF had them and they were eligible for Prime shipping so I had them within a few days. (Note: When I checked on the shipping status, the seller had it listed as arriving in five business days. I immediately sent an email that since the item was eligible for Prime I had to have them by Monday or I would return them. The hikers did arrive within the two business day time frame.)Wore them five days in Canada without any break in period and LOVED them. Comfy, no rubbing and I can vouch that they are, indeed, waterproof! When we recovered our boat, I was in ankle deep water and my feet stayed 100% dry! I couldn't be happier with this product and would guarantee that you would love them too!
✔ Verified Purchase
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Jessica Eckstein
March 25, 2016
GREAT pick over Durand (and others) for FIVE - possibly 7- REASONS!
I bought these instead of Keen's Durand style for two reasons - because a previous reviewer noted the Durand weren't roomy enough (or insole removable) to accommodate different insoles AND because they were lighter in weight than the Durand style.I'm quite please so far! A few things that make them especially nice for me (but may not work for others):FIT - as recommended by almost everyone, order *at least* a 1/2 size larger than typical. I already do this in running shoes, so it was any different for me to do this on these. (For example, I can wear anything from a 4.5 to 5 (35 EU is ideal) if I want sandles or heels to fit and not slide, but in "regular" shoes, I go up to a 5.5 and in running shoes, I'm a clear 6 in Nike's and New Balance and apparently, these). There is not only plenty of room for my toes to not bump the front in 1/2 size up, but also plenty of room for insole insertion...INSOLES - I have very high arches and am currently dealing with plantar fasciitis in one foot. So this was huge for me. Not only are the insoles here easily removable, they are actually pretty decent quality... meaning, if I wasn't dealing with fasciitis, I'd probably have kept them in. As a comparison, I inserted the "pinkberry" from SuperFeet brand inserts and there was no noticeable different between those "special" insoles and the ones Keen already puts in the boot. FURTHER, I was worried my super-high arch ones wouldn't fit, because they're so stiff, but I easily (without even trimming, in my case!) replaced them with the SofSole high-arch inserts (available at sporting stores) with no problem.ANKLES - I have very tiny ankles and so worried these wouldn't properly hug them. But the snugness is so perfect on these without being tight that I actually feel like I'm wearing a little armor around my ankles.LACES - I *despise* round laces for always coming untied no matter how many (and how) times I tie them. And so despite all hiking boots having them for strength/durability issues, I planned on replacing these as soon as they came, with typical flat laces (okay, I also wanted to insert prettier laces too). However, the two hooks on the upper ankle that you round before you tie the lace? They are rubberized and slightly expand - so your laces don't actually move! I even pulled the loops at the top of the footbed as I was loosening them up and they wouldn't budge until I removed the laces from the hooks! It's that good! This may wear out over time, but for now, it's impressive enough that I'm not even going to replace the laces yet!TREAD - The picture online didn't show very well how deep the tread would be on these, but it's satisfyingly deep enough to actually make a difference in hiking up tall hills, mud, and slippery leaves. I have not yet determined how quickly the tread gets gunked/filled up (or how easily the mud falls out) to prevent grip, but I"ll update later on that.I'll update on the following after testing:*WATERPROOFING: As I got the leather version, I'll be spraying waterproofer over it, even though it's already supposed to be waterproof (as you'd do with any camping gear).*TOE STRENGTH: I'll be kicking stones and such to test not only how strong the toes remain, but also how much the foot moves around inside when the toe is exerted.
✔ Verified Purchase
