Customer Reviews KEEN Finlay

These are extremely comfortable shoes with one major flaw: they do not breathe at all. My feet feel like they are in a sauna. My third Keen product, I bought these because I thought these would breathe better than the hi-top version I already have. I was wrong.

This is a good pair of shoe, very sturdy and they don't fall apart. Yes they do look great and comfortable but not as much as a Merrell pair. Will probably buy another product from them.

I like to wear "nice hikers" to work where the shoes appear dressy enough to go with chinos and are comfortable enough to handle movement between buildings on our campus. I've had Rockports that have worked, but when they discontinued the model I loved, I went looking for an alternative. I found the Keen Finlay and decided to give them a try. Zappos, of course, delivered them mere moments after I ordered them, and I was wearing them to work within two days. It took a little bit to get used to the unique style/shape of the shoe, but I found them comfortable right out of the box. I now wear them every day, and now also wear them on weekends and on urban hikes. I like them so much that I am now buying a second pair so that I can wear my new ones to work, and my old ones for hiking, etc. That way, I won't jeopardize my "good" shoes, needed for work. I like the roomy toe box provided by that Keen shape. The soles have survived nearly a year of use with almost no wear and tear. They are very rugged. I have tall arches, and I've found these to be comfortable enough that I choose not to wear my custom inserts. I think that folks with ultra-high, sort of freakishly tall arches may want more support. My podiatrist calls my arches "high" and I'm very comfortable in these shoes. Now, please don't discontinue them as did Rockport!

Feels a little stiff initially. Takes a little time to "break 'em in," yet it is a very lightweight, comfortable shoe.

These are comfortable shoes. They are very well made, you can tell by the way they feel and the way that they wear. I don't like the way they look, they kind of make my feet look like duck feet in a men's size 12, but I do know that they are designed to fit your toes the way the human foot is shaped, so I understand why. They are very comfortable if you don't wear them all the time. I work 8 hours a day on my feet at a retail store and honestly my feet hurt after about 6 hours in these, and my usual work shoes I feel great after even a 10 hour shift. I think honestly what it is though is that these shoes are TOO supportive, and I have flat feet - so ANYWAY. They are super durable, not the most stylish shoes in the closet, and VERY comfortable for casual wear for me, but not so much if I am going to be standing all day. I would definitely buy another pair of Keens - they are worth the money.

Keens have never worked for me because of the ridge under the big toe in the footbed. I made this pair work by taking out the Keen foot bed and putting in a Footprints foot bed of the same size. The shape and length were identical. (The Footprints foot bed is of an older style, but I think replacements are still available.) The upper and sole seem to be of very good quality, and they look good.

I've been wearing Keens almost exclusively now for about the past four years. I'm a bit unhappy with these. To get it out of the way, they absolutely feel like Keens when you put them on, all the comfort and fit the my feet have grown accustomed to. There are some negatives I've found with my "nutcase" colored Finlay. I've worn them for about three months now. First, much of the color on the soles of the shoe have come off. This is not just an issue of wear as some of the color flaked off in the first day. I was able to peel it off too. The color (in my case yellow) is a thin coating applied to the softer of the two materials that make up the tread. This was just a minor annoyance that Keen couldn't figure out how to make is stick properly. These are the only shoes I wear and I work on my feet all day. This softer material, almost like dense foam rubber, makes up patches on the bottom and the trim around the back of the sole. I've found that it is starting to tear up just a little. It's much more susceptible to getting sharp objects embedded in it, especially small rocks which have left several dents in the material. I have also caught the back of my heel on doors a few times (my fault) and that soft material is tearing much faster than if the sole were made completely out of that hard material. The applied raised logs on the side have also quickly torn off. I'm not used to Keens deteriorating so fast even if most of it is cosmetic. I wish the sole was made out of one solid piece of the hard material. Disappointed, but I'll still wear them.

Shoes very well built but no cushion on inside to help with my neuropathy.

Got these as an every-day shoe and I've had them about a month. The style and construction is nice. The size is good but they feel pretty wide, loose almost. Also, I've been on a few longer walks with them now and they have terrible arch support. I have high arches and these do not give me the support I need. I don't notice it day to day so much, but definitely while walking for an extended time. So now I'm going to have to put $40 insoles into these shoes. Also, they seem to squeak as I walk. I'm hoping that goes away with time. Overall, I'm not too impressed given all the great things I've heard about Keens.

I bought these and a pair of Keen Austins to try out for an upcoming vacation that would involve a lot of walking. I returned both pairs. This is my first experience with Keens. My impression is that these are very well made shoes and are pretty comfortable. The wide toe box and well shaped insole feel good. These might be really great for casual wear, but I would not expect them to be good for lots of walking for a couple reasons. The first is that despite the fact that they are comfortable, the rubber sole is hard. Except for a tiny bit of padding in the insole there is no cushion when you put your foot down so the effect when walking is similar to wearing a dress shoe. Second, the shoe is stiff. I'm sure they'll soften up a bit but the impression is that they are not exactly made for long walks. Finally, unlike the Austins, the tongue on the Finlays I received were too long (maybe a 1/2 inch longer than the ones in the picture on this page), cutting into the front of my ankle. I would recommend the Keen Austins (but not for walking) which are very similar to these, but don't have the tongue problem.

Bummed they did not feel or fit like they were advertised. Very little support all around. The are super wide too and felt "flat"...even with my orthotic inserts.

Every shoe that I wear (including other Keens) are a size 10, but when I received these they felt about 1 size too big. The heel is reminiscent of an orthopedic shoe for an old man.

I work a tough retail job that has me lifting constantly and walking miles each day and murder on shoes and feet. Usually I'll buy born shoes, but I decided to try something different. The sole and arch support of these shoes are excellent. They are built to last and are very comfortable, but the style is lacking. They look very hard and utilitarian in real life, so they are not the all-purpose shoe I had hoped they would be. Great for work, not at all good for play.

I purchased this shoe last spring to wear daily to work. I am on my size 16 feet much of the day and I find this shoe comfortable with adequate cushion and more importantly a neutral lift front to back. I think this and the wide to box are the keys to its comfort. Unfortunately, the left shoe started squeaking about two months ago. I think the squeak originates between the midsole and outsole near the ball of of my left foot. This it pretty annoying and unfortunate, because otherwise it is an excellent shoe that I think could outlast many others I have tried.

So I got a pair of these shoes over a year ago, and after about a month the right shoe started squeaking with every step I took, no matter what I was walking on. I liked the look of the shoe, so I returned those and got a new pair. The new pair had the exact same problem. People can hear me coming from across the office. I have no idea what's causing it. I also found that they run very wide, and have pretty poor arch support - my feet ache after a day of walking, though part of that might be trying to prevent them from squeaking... I had heard great things about Keens, but my experience has not been good at all. I certainly won't be getting a third pair.

After owning these shoes for a few months, I have to say I am pretty disappointed. The left shoe makes an extremely annoying and rather loud squeaking sound with every step. I thought at first it was simply because they were new, but it is clearly a defect in the sole. Naturally it is now too late to return them. Comfort is also disappointing. I have fairly high arches, and after walking for a while in these shoes they start to hurt. I'd heard that Keens usually have good arch support but these do not fit that description. The padding on the balls of the feet is also pretty thin. Finally, the tongue and ankle of the shoe tend to dig into my ankle. The redeeming quality of the shoes are that they look great, but that's about it. Definitely don't live up to the reputation of Keens.

I had high hopes for these shoes. They got a high rating, but now I suspect that shoes are mostly reviewed by the people who kept the shoes they ordered, so naturally, most shoes get good ratings. I sent mine back for two reasons. First, the insole at the toes is uncomfortable. At first I thought the insole just didn't have much padding there, but it was really because of some deep grooves molded into the insole. It would have made my big toe very sore after a long walk, I'm sure. Also, the front of the shoe is too roomy, so my toes could slide from side to side as I walked -- sure to give me blisters. The extra width was somewhat surprising, as with other brands I'm usually borderline between D and E widths. Nice looking shoe, but I had to send them back.

I have been using Keen Finley and Austins for years. I had the squeak develop before, but usually after a few months. Same thing happened again, on a pair of shoes that are otherwise fine. Also the laces wear out fast and are very Keen specific. They used to give replacements free, their web site still says call us for laces. When I did, the guy was pretty rude, said they only give out third party cheap boot laces for some of their boots now, no more casual shoe laces. So I had to buy long black laces and cut them down to size. They look cheap. Shoe laces should last more than six months but they use a flat two-layer type and they have sharp grommets that tear up laces. They also keep adding logos to a lot of their shows (finlays were a hold out) I think I am finally done with Keen.

Used to love this shoe, on my third pair. Unfortunately as others have noted, there is a significant quality issue. After two months, one show started to squeak loudly and part of the shoe bottom started to cave in near the front. Signs of poor quality and something I'm not used to with Keen. Now I am off to their warranty claims.

The first one I ordered started squeaking. I was able to procure a replacement for the defective piece. This second piece has another problem. Within the first or second month, it started showing the white adhesive used to paste the shoe upper with the sole. I think these guys need to work on their QC. I am a bit surprised how so many other reviews are positive. How could I be the only one to receive two back to back defective pieces? Other than that, they are good shoes. Very comfortable. But I didn't expect this kind of embarrassing quality issue from a shoe priced at $110. I havent had an issue like this even from cheaper shoes like Skechers or Reebok.

This was my first pair of Keens and probably my last. The fit was pretty good for the first week and they fit pretty well and were true to the general consensus that Keens are very comfortable, but that ended quickly. I've owned these for about a month now and the insoles squeak - horribly. Plus, the heel support has disappeared completely and I'm fairly light-weight (173 lbs). The rubber around the toe looks like it's about ready to peel off. I only wore these for work, so 40 hours a week and I work in an office setting. These are easily the most disappointing shoes I have ever owned and I've owned some pretty cheap shoes in my day. Not recommended unless you tend to switch out shoes on a monthly basis. I regret not buying these on Zappos as I can't return them and now I'm stuck with two scraps of useless rubber and leather.