Customer Reviews KEEN Portola

I really like the shoe! The color is slightly different than the online picture (I ordered the red/navy ones), but still very close. The shoe is very comfortable, shaped to perfectly fit the sole of my foot. The shoe does ride slightly lower on the ankle than I expected. The support is excellent. Lacing the shoe takes a little bit of time, it is not super-quick to slide into. Overall, I am very satisfied with this shoe.

I LOOOOOVE this shoe! People have been stopping me to ask where I got these shoes! They are comfortable. I walk every, usually three miles home from work every day, etc. and these shoes are comfortable the entire time. They also appear to be water proof, and a good rugged sole. The run wide, so fit my feet well, with good arch support. I think I'll be buying them in every color.

Great shoe! I loved the look and comfort level. Has a great arch and ties snuggly around my foot. I'm a preschool teacher and mother and these shoes are great. They are as comfortable as sneakers- with a trendy look.

The back of the shoe really digs into my heel.

These are great shoes - This is my second pair of Keens. I loved the green color that I picked out; they look cute with my work apparel. I'm on my feet all the time and they are very comfy, good arch support. They fit true to size, and I didn't need a wide, which I often need.

Very Light - These shoes are very cute. The heel is a little stiff, but after walking in them for a while they loosened up. After reading the reviews I bought a 1/2 size up and glad I did.

Good casual support/look - It's a bit clunky, but I like that (I’m not a girly-girl, pointy-spiky-shoe person!) but the shoe on sale was a half-size too small; found them here at the right size and they fit great. Took a bit of breaking in at the bottom of the laces (I feel the seams at the toe-knuckles) and they don't have the deepest sole support, but they are great for a casual/sporty look; keens are awesome for those of us with wide/problematic feet.

Keen Portola - These are a great pair of shoes with some minor flaws: the laces they came with were too long and they were always coming untied. Also, it took about 2 weeks to get them totally broken in. Once they were broken in, they've been super comfortable and have been great for walking all over town! I’ve gotten lots of comments on them (I have them in wetsand/sienna) and am thinking of buying another pair.

Comfortable--eventually - I bought these shoes after buying a pair of Keen Venice H2s which are without doubt the most comfortable pair of shoes I've ever owned. I expected the Portolas to be similarly comfortable, given Keen's reputation. Out of the box, they initially seemed fine, and so I decided to keep them; after a day of wearing them, however, I was limping. The first problem was that my heel was rubbing badly. This is a problem I frequently have, so I don't blame the shoes. A $5 pair of heel pads fixed the problem. But the second problem was not so easily fixed. The top of the shoe is very stiff, and as I walked the shoe would crease and press into the top of my foot--hard. This caused me quite a bit of pain, and meant that I had to walk gingerly--and not too quickly--in these shoes for the first two weeks or so that I owned them (since I bought these to replace a pair of shoes that had ceased to be serviceable, and because they were expensive enough that I couldn't afford to buy a second, more comfortable pair of shoes, I ended up having to wear these every day despite the discomfort). After a while, they softened up; now they are very comfortable shoes, and I love them. But I won't be buying another pair like this.

Keen Portola - I love the look of this shoe, but unfortunately had to send it back. I have a wide foot with a narrow ankle and a very high arch--the Portola worked just fine for the width and the ankle. Unfortunately the inside stitching at the bottom eyelet rubbed the top of my foot (I guess because of my high instep), and I had to reluctantly return them. As far as sizing goes, I wear a 9 in the Keen Newport and ordered a 9 in the Portola and the length was perfect.

These would be extremely comfortable if not for two problems: the cute contrast piping around the edge of the shoe rubs on the heel and doesn't stretch and the stitching just below the lowest eyelet creates a hard, inflexible spot that presses painfully into the foot whenever the shoe bends in taking a step. Wish I'd discovered these problems before wearing the shoes outside - I would have exchanged them for a different style of Keens.

Rugged, solid. Good alternative to wearing boring sneakers. I have plantar fasciitis, so good supportive shoes that could absorb shock are very important. The given arch support is only so so, but it is removable and once removed, the shoes give ample room for my own orthotic. I use the molded footbed that comes with the shoes during normal errands, but I have to use my own orthotic when I am going to a trip or vacation when a lot of walking is required. I have wide feet with bunion on my little toes side, and the shoes don't bother them too much and my toes have a lot of wiggle room up in front. I am 6.5-7, and I ordered 6.5 and it fits very well. The 7 was way large even when I put my own orthotic in and wear thick socks. Very solid construction with a sturdy toe guard. I expect this shoe to last a long time.

Teacher's Comfort - This is a nice casual shoe if you're on your feet all day. Great arch support allows me to go without orthotics even though this shoe can accommodate them. Thanks to other reviewers for recommending a half size larger. That worked out well. I look forward to ordering another pair of Keens in the future. Zappos, you get an A+ for service and efficiency.

Nice toe box, great width; however, I had to put heel cups into the heel because it too deep and the angle is a little strange. Other reviews also mentioned the issue with the heel. However - overall, I liked the shoes enough to order another pair (in spite of the heel).

Love Keen - I own the Presidio and the Silver lake so thought I'd try this in the red. I found my heel would slip and did not feel as secured in the shoe as the other 2 styles I own, had to send back. Don't get me wrong, I will continue to order Keen's. Keep those styles coming!! Oh ya, LOVE Zappos!!!!

Nice shoe - A friend at my gym walked in the other day and showed me her Keen Portola shoes. She bought it for a walking trip in Italy in May this year. I needed a good general shoe like this and so I asked if I could try her new shoes on. I liked them so I ordered a pair. First off, Zappos shipping is amazingly fast. I was truly impressed. The shoes came in a day. Admittedly, the heel is a bit wide so I'll need to put in a pad to keep it from slipping, but that's a modest accommodation for a shoe with a comfortably sizeable toe box and strong laces that aren't, thankfully, the stretchy kind you find on athletic shoes these days. My foot size for shoes ranges between 9.5 to 10 depending on the shoe. I bought a 10 and they fit fine. I can tie them tighter or looser on my foot depending on my mood and whim. I think this is a cool shoe that will work great for me here in the Pacific Northwest and given my often casual lifestyle. Clickety, clackety, high heeled shoes and sandals which require pedicures, pretty feet and the promise of walking on virtual stilts? Who needs it! I don't have time and I want extreme comfort. Keen Portola does the job. I appreciate their practical approach to shoe design.

Cute shoe! The Portola is a cute shoe and make your feet look very small. However, there is not much arch support. I have purchased the inserts to see if that will make a difference but have not wore them yet. I have several pair of Keen shoes and these are the first ones that lack the support I have come to expect. If the inserts make them more comfortable, I will keep them because the black ones are adorable. If not, I will have to return them. Since Zappos is excellent in their customer service and return policy, it will be easy to return them if I make that decision. Thank you Zappos! Your on-line shoe shopping is fantastic!!!

I wanted to love these.... I have Keen flip-flops and winter boots and they are the most comfortable shoes. I was excited to purchase Keen's Portola shoes in black/shale. One of the girls I work with bought a pair and said they were the most comfortable shoes for work. When I tried them on I felt that while they were comfortable and supportive, my foot seemed to slosh around in them. I ordered the correct size but I'm used to snug, cushy running shoes when I'm on my feet at work. I wanted to keep them but I needed work shoes and I wondered how "breathable" these would be when I'm running around all day.

Fix the Heel! I love the looks - the colors - the shoe fits my wide foot. The heel rubbed a blister on my heel - I cut the band off and it still annoys me. Keen....please make the heel different on this adorable shoe!

Keen Portola - Took a few wearings to break in - they felt tight across the top at first but now they very comfortable. Great color (mint and orange)works with many different color combinations. Love them. They look a bit wider on my feet than I expected. My other Keens seem to make my feet look narrower. No big deal, though.

Portola Keen's - Love the shoes. They do slip a little but overall a nice shoe at a great price.

Still a little stiff across the back - Cute as heck--look like clown feet--Bought to try and counteract plantar fasciitis -- good arch support - back of shoe (where heel already hurts b/c of P.F. anyway), is still stiff-- have tried to work it on and off with my hands -- I think that once broken in, it will be fine - it's comfortable -- very -- with that exception. Oh yes, I also ordered a 1/2 size larger b/c of other reviews--it fits as it should.

Great - Cute shoes and mostly comfortable, but wide & short -- order a half to full size larger, and since they are wide they may not work for a really narrow foot. Also the top of the heel at the back digs in a bit, but I expect this will go away when they are a little more broken in.