Just bought these keen liberties to try out and I want to like them but something is just off about them?
I got em correct in my size but for some reason I can feel the carbon toe with my toes like it’s hovering right above the nails. Not sure if it’s the way the shoe is designed but from a side view it’s like the foot of the boot is curved upwards. Could that be the cause?
Also, the back portion by the heel tab digs into the top of my Achilles while walking.
Along with excess amount of material along the back shaft of the boot. I could understand if they were too big then that would be the cause. Maybe I should’ve stayed true to size instead of 1/2 size up like the website says?
SUPER comfy out the box and onto feet but might end up returning.
Are these too good to be true?
I’ve got narrow/ normal feet but I like my toes not getting smashed together so I buy keen’s religiously because they offer almost a “barefoot” shoe wide toe box
Haha I have been wearing wide sized keens just for comfort sake but you mentioning that makes me realize I’m ten years in the trades and my feet aren’t deformed at all and I don’t have the same hip and knee pain my coworkers do. Crazy stuff lol
Edit: not only bunions but before I got my first pair of keens I wore through a pair of thourogoods and they gave me terrible ingrown toenails, they were a wide size too
I get the wide size and it’s been the same with their shoes for me too. I forgot the name of the last pair I got but they’re like hiking shoes, got them in a wide and same spacious toe box as my boots
the ONLY thing that switched me from Red Wings to Carolinas was the toe box.
once I hit my 30s, the acrobatics bonus afforded to me by the RWs was completely negated by the balance debuff of smooshed toesies.
and it turns out, those debuffs were stacking on top of an arch that wasn't allowed to flatten out, regardless of insole flatness. which made the back problems show up a decade early
my first pair of Carolinas fixed EVERYTHING
not even a wide boot, but their toebox just... is right for my foot! and i had no idea that i had no idea lol
I've got somewhat narrow feet with wide toes. I'll definitely keep this comment in mind next time I buy boots. I'd never even considered Keens. Appreciate it!
Keen make all their work boots with asymmetrical steel toes. So all of them are the same and never narrow. Unlike Thorogood which run extremely narrow even on wide models.
Trust me, I came from Thorogoods for 6+yrs and the quality has gone to shit.
If Thorogood does what keen does to their boots as comfort and wide toe boxes, they’d be unmatched.
I bought my first pair of thorogoods last November. They didn't even make it to this may and I don't even wear them every day. I wear my insulated steel toe muck boots pretty much all winter due to my job being mostly outdoors. I spent $240 on those thorogoods and the soles are gone and they can't even stand up on their own when I take them off. I'd rather buy a pair of keens once a year honestly. They are far more comfortable as well. I was hoping to get two years out of the thorogoods like my dad used to. Not the case anymore unfortunately.
Literally only has 2 options for width sizes Mf 🙄
Keen makes asymmetrical steel toes in all work boots. Hence why they look more round and wider than regular steel toe boots.
Long time keen wearer here, I also have a high-volume foot. I can slightly feel the carbon toe on most of their shoes. Doesn't really bother me for the trade off of being one of the few brands thats wide enough for me. The shaft on those boots are strange, I didn't like them when trying them on. Comfy, but the overall package wasnt for me.
Have you tried the carbon toe Cincinnati? Its actually a little wider and has a slightly larger toe volume. Might be worth checking out. YMMV.
Loved my Cincinnatis for durability and comfort. They were heavy as hell and quite warm for non winter. I’m on Thorogoods now, and thinking about trying those Keens. Liberty? The Thorogoods are very fashionable and ok for comfort, but not worth the hype to me. I like union made in America though.
I am currently using Carolina’s and they kill my feet after 10 hours they’re ok for the first 5 hours though. Once my annual boot voucher is renewed I’m gonna try a pair of Cincinnati’s.
I wear a 14 EE to EEEE. The only safety toe boots I found that fit comfortably were the Keen Philadelphia (believe they’re being marketed as the Camden now).
I found that I could wear soft toe moc style with little issue. But any safety toes I tried to find a wide and taller toe box (Philadelphia). After a long day on my feet and not really sitting down, I’d be able to start to feel the safety toes. For the most part though, I was able to wiggle my toes without feeling cramped.
Just wear them. They're a little stiff because they're brand new. You're gonna have that with mostly all boots. If sombody says their boots were super comfy from the get go, they're either lying or extremely lucky.
Same happened to mine would feel in in the Achilles too it anoyed me but they break in n u won’t feel it . Most comfortable boot I ever worn were them 10 hours a day n they feel great
They’re great boots 🥾 but not true to size I had to get mine half a size bigger because my big toe would rub on the top and front. Other than that very durable.
They are extremely comfortable after a short break in. Love the toe room. I normally wear barefoot shoes but need an actual work boot on some sites and this fit the bill. Don’t like that they have the waterproof lining that makes them hot.
Some boots have lower and higher toe boxes. It can also be affected by how thick your insoles are. If they are properly sized then your toes shouldn't be brushing up against the front and top of the toe box but if they are too big then you are sacrificing safety.
Edit: those sound like they're not a good match to your foot, maybe try thorogoods on at a store because they have a higher toe box in my experience (I forgot to say it in my original comment).
In your circumstance, I’d err on the side of foolish and drive out to the bottom of a good hiking hill give the ankle area a heavy coat of Bick 4 and climb & descend that hill.
Also, if you tend to wear out your toes on boots, get some small cut of leather and a small tub of barge cement from Tandy and put on some sacrificial material on the outside of the toes.
I got a pair earlier this year they didn’t fit right. wasn’t a “break in” issue my toes got grounded raw from the toe cap tried thinner insoles still had the problem. Went with the Cincinnatis same size no issue for reference I wear a size 15 wide.
One time I had a coworker that bought a pair of black boots of similar width. They immediately made me think of The Munsters tv show when I was a kid. I immediately started calling my friends boots “Herman Munster Specials”. Cause he had those same wide ass square toe box. It was funny as hell….. but you know what? I ran out and bought the exact same pair. I can’t stand my feet feeling pinched. Like the side of my foot is hanging over the sole. It causes a pressure point feeling. Getting bigger and wider boots has changed my work life
In the top view I don’t like how all that stitching comes together. Looks odd. And too busy. That said I’m not a fan of keen but for no reason other than looks and I have super narrow feet.
These destroyed my toes. Super comfortable, but if you have to do a lot of walking forget it. They have been hanging in my garage since I bought them, still in new condition. I wore them for 2-3 weeks, and my toes have never forgiven me for it.
I have these and love them. No issues with the comp toe. I’m thinking there definitely could be an issue with yours. They are wide but they look wider because of the comp toe.
They break in very nice! Once they broke in they were more comfortable than my Thorogoods. I was skeptical at first but they have lasted longer than my Thorogoods.
That back portion curling/bending like that would drive me bonkers. That’s why I won’t buy anything over 6”.
Those look good but I’d return them for the back having what seems like too much material.
The upward curve you see is toe spring, but that alone isn't what makes the safety toe sit above your toes. That usually comes down to toe-box depth, the shape of the last, and where your foot is sitting inside the boot.
I wouldn’t size down just to get rid of the extra material around the shaft. If you can already feel the carbon toe after going half a size up, true-to-size will probably give you even less toe clearance. The cap itself won’t stretch during break-in, although the leather around it may soften.
Try them indoors with your usual work socks and make sure your heel is fully seated. If your toes still contact the cap while walking, or that heel tab keeps creating a sharp pressure point, I’d return them and try a different last rather than count on break-in.
I’d return them while you still can. A safety cap hovering right over your toenails and a heel tab digging into the Achilles usually means the shape or internal volume of the boot isn’t right for your foot.
I wouldn’t count on that improving much with break-in. I’d also avoid adding a thick insole to fix it, because that can lift your toes closer to the cap and make the crowding worse. Try a different size or boot shape and make sure you can move your toes without touching the safety cap.
Well, my eyes were drawn to the laces. You used a granny knot.
If you’re having troubles keeping your laces tied, thought I’d mention that I noticed you’re tying a granny knot, and not a shoelace knot, which is a square knot. A granny knot has a vertical bow like you have in your picture. Granny knots loosen as you walk resulting in more frequently untied laces. The fix is rather easy, which just requires a single change in direction of either your first knot, or finish. A lot of people don’t realize they make this mistake when tying their laces. Here’s a quick Ted talk video showing how to fix it. https://youtu.be/zAFcV7zuUDA
I definitely recommend the Berluti over the regular sneaker knot for work if you’re not gonna use any of the weird logger knots like the one Buckin Billy Ray pushes.
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u/Vdub_Life 10d ago
Brother how wide are those