Customer Reviews KEEN Austin

This is the 2nd pair of the Keen Austin model that I have purchased. I bought them again because the fist pair were durable and I liked the way they looked. Also, they were comfortable and offered decent support for walking on trails through the woods. However, the first pair felt more comfortable than this most recent pair. The arch supports feel weird on my feet...like there is support on the on wrong side of my foot. Specifically, it feels like there is more support on the outside of my arch instead of the inside, which is where I would expect it to be. I'm hoping that in time, I will get used to this. It just doesn't feel quite right at the moment. Overall, I still like the look and durability I get with these shoes.

I desperately wanted to like these shoes, even though in person they are uglier than they appear online. The sole support is amazing and feel like they'd be great for travel and uneven surfaces. However, I could never get the leather around the ankle to break in, and they wound up remaining quite uncomfortable. I've never had a shoe be too tight around the ankle, and so resistant to breaking in. I regret this purchase.

This is the third time trying to find correct size. I usually wear size 11 - was way too big; tried 10.5 and it was still too long. Tried 10 and it was too narrow. Great looking shoe; just didn't fit well for me.

NOT THE OLD AUSTINS This is an inferior quality shoe compared to the older ones. The width is MUCH narrower, the leather is not as good (mine warped over the toes within two months) and the seams are not as solid. I had two pairs of the former Austins. They lasted a long time (without requiring much care) were very comfortable for my wide feet, and they looked great. This new model is CHEAP. They don't last nearly as long and they look kind of crappy too. Head's up for those of you who were thinking you'd be getting the same shoe. Sad to say, Keen really cut some corners on this one.

Purchased and wore out a pair of Keen Portsmouths. They were the most comfortable I've ever owned. They were well made, I just wore them out cause they were seldom not on my feet. Could not find them in my size again so tried the Austins, but was disappointed in the comfort. They look to be well made also, but were not comparable in how they felt on my feet. Zappos was very understandable and worked with me to my satisfaction. I will still consider Keens in the future as well as Zappos.

I have had four pairs of these shoes. I get them because they are very good for wide feet. But the quality is inconsistent. My second pair look better than my third pair but the sole has come loose on my second pair. The leather on the toes my third pair wrinkled and look older than my second pair. So, for comfort with wide feet I like them, but I wish they were of better quality.

I've had a pair of these for 7 years, and they have been amazing. However, I recently ordered a replacement pair, and the color is completely different than what is shown as Chocolate Brown. There is a definite green hue to the shoe, and it was not at all what I expected. Great shoe, but either the photos need to be updated for Chocolate Brown...or I somehow received an outlier...

I'm sending these shoes back ASAP. The 6 eyelets for laces are too many. Other models have but 5. This laces too tightly against my ankle.

I have had Keens before. Never stylish, these Keens also have a very stiff sole. Not comfortable. They are going back.

After a few weeks, a dent formed in the leather over the toes. It's annoying and won't go away. The heel is too high for my taste, and makes my heels ache. But it's nice to find a shoe made to fit the shape of a human foot.

The tongue of the shoes are about an inch too short and when I walk they grind into the top of my foot just below the ankle joint. Very uncomfortable! Other than that I liked the shoe.

I am on my fifth pair, and I am looking for a replacement. These are good shoes generally but they wear out quickly. For the price, I would expect better. I have trouble with the laces, I always have to tie them in a double knot.

Overall I liked the way the shoes fit and they were comfortable, but they didn't last nearly as long as I was hoping. I wear them daily for work in an office setting, and within 6 months the sole started separating from the upper, on both shoes. After about a year they are literally falling apart. It's too bad because they look nice and are comfortable. I won't be purchasing these again.

I wear a 10, but ordered this in 11 because the tongue pushed up against my ankle (which has scar tissue from an injury). But this size is huge! Looks and feels way too big. So I'm going to grade it as bigger than marked. I don't care for the orange. Personal preference, I guess. Very masculine look if you want that.

I bought my first pair of these in January 2013 and they fit great. However, today, less than 3 months later, the sole split apart from the shoe as the glue deteriorated. The shoes also still have full tread so it is not as if they were "over used." I called Zappos today and they are sending me a new pair due to a defective product and I am hoping that they have fixed the problem. Overall they are great shoes and very comfortable and broke-in in less than a day.

I purchased these for my 18 year old son six months ago. Since he usually does not wear out shoes fast, I was surprised to look at the how fast the soles have worn out and that these shoes have a horrible stench now. I would say that he and I are a bit disappointed in the durability of these shoes. Other than that, he reports that they have been comfortable.

I've forgotten how many Keen's I've owned now. I prefer their toe shape and overall comfort. I think they run a tad short in the toe so I round up from my expected size. They are usually fair quality, but this particular shoe has some issues in the stitching. I had to send the first pair back for replacement after less than a month. The replacement pair turned out only slightly better. Eventually, I expect the glue between the leather and sole to fail as that has been my most common problem, although it usually takes a few months. Overall, I wish Keen would increase the quality level as I expect a bit more out of shoes for their prices.

This shoe is comfortable from day one. I ordered the shoe to take on a trip to India where I knew I would be doing a lot of walking on a variety of surfaces. This shoe performed very well. It has sufficient traction for walking on mist covered rocks near waterfalls to support when spending hours on concrete during work. My only complaint is the glue between the upper and lower isn't consistent and I've already got separation (after less than 2 months) at the sides of the toe box.

I've had a few pairs of these and I agree with the critical review about the glue on the sole and the grade of the rubber. My first pair lasted maybe three years. My last pair only lasted half that. I've had the sole come apart because of the poor glue (although Keen honored the warranty on that beyond their standard 1 year), and the sole wore down much more quickly on that last pair.

These are heavy duty shoe. Maybe a hiking shoe. The inserts are great, arch support and stabilizing on both sides. They have the Keen classic, original toe box (wide enough for human toes). The problem is they are pretty high and tight around the ankle considering it's not a boot. The heel, like many newer Keens is high without a dip, so I would anticipate blisters within 30 minutes of walking. No amount of stretching is going to fix that. Bummer that Keen has not kept the old design (Bronx) while adding so many new shapes. Now either the toe box is too narrow or the heel is a blister making torture device or both. And my last 2 pairs of Keens lasted less than 6 months, a fraction of the time my first 2 pairs have.

I purchased these for my boyfriend. He says the shoes are very comfortable for working on your feet all day. However, after less than a year of use, some of the tread is separating from the rest of the sole making the shoes garbage. It's unfortunate because the rest of the shoe has held up perfectly.

I have had three pairs of these shoes and I find them above average on comfort. I like a wide toe box and these shoes have it. The problem is the first pair had a long lasting sole but the second and third pair cost less and the sole is wearing faster. I have been wearing them for casual and construction work. The first pair did fairly well but the soles on the others are not holding up to rough treatment. The uppers are tough, however, and still look great after plenty of rough treatment. I had the same issues with some Born shoes. Timberland makes some tough shoes and Keen now has a utility shoe that might last longer for working.

Great looking shoe, but this is the second pair of Austins that I have tried. In both cases, the L & R shoes I received did not completely match one another! Specifically, at the rear of the shoes and around the insides of the 'ankle cuff', one shoe was significantly taller than the other. Additionally, the leather 'stripe' detailing at the very back of the shoe was nowhere near symmetric between the shoes. This is a definite flaw in Keen's manufacturing process. I will say that I loved the roomy toebox of this shoe. This seems to be a hallmark of all Keen products. But in the end, I conclude that my feet just don't like Keen's idea of foot shape, as I find an annoying pressure point on the inboard edge of the top of the tongues in both shoes. This was consistent with both the Austins and the Briggs 2 that I tried. Despite all this, Zappos is a superb operation and I will definitely be using them again very soon.

Soft soled - I like the fit and feel of this shoe but the sole wears very quickly. The sole material is soft and in less than 6 month's of normal wear, I have no tread on the bottom and the side seam has split. This is not a shoe I would recommend to anyone wanting good shoe life.