Customer Reviews KEEN Austin

The fit was fine. The show is a bit stiff and I hope that the leather becomes more giving as the show is worn.

The eyelets in the shoe were damaged and caused the shoelace to shred. I ordered two and both had this issue. Otherwise, great shoe but had to return twice just for this reason.

Nice shoesHorrible laces - coming apart after 6 weeks

I have a confession. I've been ruined by "comfortable right out of the box" shoes. Most of my recent shoe purchases seemed to form directly to my feet and move with me, right out of the box. These.... don't. In fact, these are down right uncomfortable. The shoes showed up on my doorstep the day after I ordered (thanks Zappos) and I popped them on my feet. Immediately I noticed the leather upper is very stiff. So stiff in fact that at first I left the laces a little loose... bad call. They didn't snug up on my feet at all and my heel was bouncing around. Next a cinched them down good and tight. Great, now my foot doesn't slosh around in them. But the leather is so stiff that I can hardly stand it. Imagine wearing a shoe made of wood. That's how stiff they are. The good news is that this is my only complaint. The insole is deliciously comfortable and the rubber sole is tough as nails. Side note, I ordered the chocolate brown and they aren't the rich brown leather shown in the picture. They're a darker, softer brown. I don't mind at all. I've read many of the reviews here that praise the comfort once they're broken in, so I'm going to stick with them and see how things look in a few weeks.

Very comfortable. I bought the same size as another pair of Keens and these were 1/2 size larger.

These are excellent shoes for what I want. Comfortable, durable and weather resistant for an upcoming holiday to various cities. They broke in quickly. Stylish for what they are, which is why I gave it 4 stars there.

The Austin a handsome, water proof shoe that's great for a city walking shoe and perfect for the colder, rainy months. I've noticed that the leather just after the laces is bunching up a little. I'm not sure if that's because of getting worn in and my step or because there's too much leather in the shoe. It's a minor fault for a generally great shoe.

These shoes are great for walking. I just wish they would make a wider width for those of us who have fat feet! They could do without the "Keen" logo tab next to the laces, too.

I have got fairly wide feet, so trying these shoes was a gamble. They started off feeling narrow at the broadest part of my feet, but with some thick socks and gentle wear, the initial break-in was promising. Now they are coming along nicely. I am looking forward to wearing these for a long, comfortable time.

Just a little tight at the front near the tongue on the inside during breaking in, requiring I tie them looser than usual. Otherwise another excellent Keen product free from the problems with other cheaper Keen versions with plastic lace eyes that break or cloth eyes that wear within a year of heavy use.

For years I've worn Birkenstock Alpine hiking shoes that no other shoe has come close to in comfort until now. The Keen Austin feels very accurately sized. They have great arch support from the orthopedic insoles and are very comfortable and lightweight. The toe box gives your toes plenty of room in which to move and be very happily comfortable. The Keen socks are also very comfortable and supportive and keep your feet cool due to the wool material. I would rate them a 4++

Will be great for travel and touring - I bought these to go on my honeymoon to Europe. We haven't gone yet, but I am amazed at how comfortable these shoes are. They look a little goofy, the toe is fairly wide. But they have grown on me in the last few weeks that I have had them.

A Pretty OK Shoe - As a high school teacher, I am on my feet for most of the day, so I need a shoe that can keep my feet comfortable. I used to be a tried and true Dr. Martens fan - but I have switched allegiances. The style is what it is - geek chic. My shoes do not win any popularity contests with my inner-city students - but neither do they mock them. I started wearing keens last year and they hold up pretty well to the daily abuse I inflict upon them.

Maybe a little too much room in toe box - Very comfortable, but I'm still getting used to spacious toe box. To me, they feel larger than marked, but I think it's the roominess that throws me and I think the 1/2 size smaller shoe would be just slightly too small. I need a 9 and 3/4. :)

Keens rock! Worn these shoes for about 4 weeks at work, on travel, and around town. They are great, comfortable, and good looking.

Great Shoes, but... The shoe strings were too short. Had to go to Wal-Mart to get proper length strings.

This is a very comfortable shoe that is very well made. I need a very durable casual shoe. In the past I have worn several Columbia models, but I have found the Keen Austin a wonderful alternative. I would but a Keen shoe again and receomend it to my friends and family. Once I find a shoe that fits me well I tend to stay with it until it gets discontinued (ha, ha) and this one fits the bill for now.

Bob Weston of the Shellac of North America band suggested these shoes. He claimed they were very comfortable, rugged and wide. I now agree.

Nice but a little off - These look cool, and they have the same ergonomic footbed as other Keen shoes, but the size is inexplicably just slightly off. I wear a 13 men's and my feet are wide. Keens are just about the only shoes I can squeeze my feet into. While the Bronx fits me like a glove, the Austin is a little tighter- so much so that I feel some fatigue at the end of the day. My question is, why?

Quirky & Shy - For a $100 shoe Keen has missed one mark: decent shoe laces. This is my first pair of Keen. I became interested in Keen after seeing my trendy friends sport their sandals. The Austin looked like it fit the bill for around town comfort, and it does with almost flying colors. This shoe has quirky good looks while providing rugged wear, and that makes it a nice package. But, something about this shoe isn't right with the width ~ it seems to run narrow, and thereby seems to barely cover the topside of the foot. The laces too are barely long enough to tie a decent knot. After changing out the laces and some breakin all is fine with this shoe. However, what's with the short laces?

I’ve owned at least 4 pairs of these… In my opinion, the Keen Austin *was* the ultimate all-purpose shoe. They go well with both jeans and casual dress pants (which alone is quite an achievement). I remember the first pair I tried on immediately felt like they were custom made for my semi-wide feet. The materials were rugged, but still flexible enough that they needed zero break-in. On top of that amazing comfort, I think they’re pretty stylish… They’re definitely casual — but not nearly as casual as a sneaker. They’re not trying to look “outdoorsy,” “athletic,” or “urban” either. Just a clean and simple design that *was* well made and built to last. But that was then. About 3-4 years ago, Keen started downgrading the quality of the Austin. As others have mentioned, they switched to using more glue and less stitching. They now also use MUCH stiffer materials for the upper, which means they require significant break-in time before they can even come close to the plush feel of the originals. The rubber sole also seems to wear out a lot faster. Lately, they stopped making the more stylish color variants… So it’s now black, brown, or nothing. They’re still decent shoes that, after months of frequent wear, can feel similarly comfortable to the old version. However, they’re just not amazing anymore, so I’ve been on the hunt for something else… But what I really want is for Keen to restore the Austin’s to their former glory.

These were much stiffer than previous versions of this same shoe. They instantly hurt where previous versions were instantly very comfortable. Not sure what changed but am returning these.

Fit and size were fantastic. They felt broken in as soon as I put them on. Arch support, not so much. But that's okay because I usually use orthotic inserts anyway. On Amazon, this shoe is described as waterproof. I ordered on Zappos and hadn't noticed that the shoe is described as water resistant. Pretty crappy information in either case. The shoe is definitely not waterproof, and water resistant can be interpreted in different ways. I finally gave it a test last night by walking my dog in dewy grass. The uppers were soaked through almost immediately. This was not rain-soaked grass. It was not raining. It was dewy grass. And my feet were soaked within a few minutes. I noticed it particularly because I wasn't wearing socks. Very disappointed, especially since my goal was to buy a pair of waterproof shoes. So, if you're looking for a comfortable, well-fitting shoe with the look and feel described, then you really can't go wrong. However, don't expect it to be waterproof or water resistant.

I've ordered 3 pairs of this shoe during the past couple of years. The first pair was size 11 and it was very comfortable from the first time I put them on. Because I wore them every day, they eventually started looking tacky so I ordered a second pair a few months later. The second pair wasn't nearly as comfortable as the first and eventually started making the ends of my toes sore. So I ordered yet another pair 1/2 size larger (12 M). The 3rd pair was comfortable for the first few months but soon they also started hurting the ends of my toes. I checked the inside of the shoes and discovered there is a seam in the inside lining that protrudes and hits my toe next to my big toe. That was the source of my discomfort. All 3 pair of shoes have the same seam and same problem so I’m looking for a different brand and style. I was initially very pleased with this shoe but after owning several pair over a period of time, I’m very disappointed with them.

I have high arches, so I always wind up replacing the insoles with Dr. Schols within the first few weeks. The Austin specifically has an issue with metal eyelets. I have had them for 10 months and been through 3 pairs of laces already. I am a fan of the brand and bought replacement shoes of the same style before, but don't see that happening with the Austin.