Customer Reviews KEEN Elsa III Sneaker

Okay, I'm a 10.5 and that's what I ordered in this sneaker. I own several pairs of Keens (from sandals to day-hiking shoes), and this brand is both durable and comfortable (and I like that they offer a variety of cute colors!). It's usually a can't-go-wrong shoe, no matter the style. BUT, this Elsa III sneaker has a very stiff tongue, and after taking only a handful of steps, it was cutting much too much into the top of my foot. Weird. Otherwise the shoe was a perfect fit, and felt comfortable underneath, but the jabbing stiffness was a NO GO for me. Sadly I had to return this pair. Bummer.

I really liked the look and fit of these but they squeaked when I walked so I returned them.

Fit and size are fine. Was expecting a more supportive footbed as my other Keen's. Flared up my plantar fasciitis. Keeping them, but not a walking shoe.

I really wanted to love this shoe. Style is adorable and so fun for teaching in. But unfortunately the arch support is just not there for a person with high arches. And the back is so low that even with my own orthotic or trying other footbeds, my heel then slips. If Keen would put in a footbed like the Taos Plim Soul, I would buy ten pairs of these shoes. But alas, they are heading back and I'm buying another pair of the Plim Souls. :(

Cute shoe, wide toe box, remainder of shoe felt narrow. Shoe is very stiff. Perhaps over time will improve. Wanted to love this shoe.

These were cute shoes, but I wanted maximum arch support and padding in the heel. The Taos Plimsole and Teva Freewheeler both were way better on both fronts that the Keens, which had very unimpressive arch support. I was surprised given Keen reviews.

Overall these shoes were super cute but unfortunately they were much too clunky feeling. They did feel larger than I normally wear as well. I don't feel like they had much arch support either. I much preferred the Elsa Crochet.

I want a cute walking shoe with excellent support. I ordered these Keens, the Taos Plim Sole, Dr. Scholl's Freestep, and Teva Freewheel. The Keens were very well made and super cute. But they're going back because they don't come close to the support and cushioning in the Taos and Tevas. The Keens also seemed to run small. If you don't need really cushiony strong support, these are nice shoes.

These were almost okay, but I found them just too wide (like a boy's shoe!) and clunky looking. I was actually afraid I might trip over them, so they're going right back to Zappo's.

Surprisingly disappointing. Was seeking a stiff sole for toe problems, but these bend completely in half. There is minimal arch support. The green fabric is stiff and scratchy. My toes only had only a pinky of space- runs short.

tried these in an attempt to find something with a spacious toe box. most modern fit shoes tend to push on the tops of my big toes leaving them sore after wear. These definitely have plenty of room. I tried the 9.5 in an attempt to get extra space, I'm usually a 9. Don't think I needed to, I think my usual size would have worked. I tried the checker board pattern. Just looks fun. The fabric was a little stiff out of the box for me. I really don't like to have to break in a pair of shoes. I also didn't like the blue laces. I think they'd look better with a neutral lace, but that's easy of fix on your own. In the end I returned but they're still a maybe. We'll see how the search goes. Compared to Taos Plim Soul and MocStar. Also Ecco soft 7 which is leather but might be a keeper.

These unfortunately did not work out for me. I have slightly wide feet, and love my Keen Targhee II for hiking in. The Elsa III pinched my little toe; I even tried going up a half size. I ended going with the Taos Moc Star in Sage in a wide width, though I like the look of the Keen in Laurel better - it has more of that classic sneaker look. I would have had to replace the removable insole with an orthotic, though I don’t need to do that with my Targhee II.

The shoe was cute and I wished they had fit. The were just way too big up and down not length. I love their sandals and have MANY pairs but-the shoes don’t work for me. Love to Zappos for the easy return policy!

Had to return these because they were too wide. Wish shoe manufacturers would include narrow widths. Plus, the shoelaces were incredibly long.

surprisingly not as clunky as I expected from a Keen sneaker. Loved the checkerboard pattern online, still pretty cute in person though I think a cream or white shoelace would look better. I was looking for something with nice space around the toes. My big toenails tend to get pressed on with a lot of the styles out there. The toe areas of a lot of shoes are too shallow for me. This had lots of space but in the end the rest of the comfort wasn't there for me. A little bit cushier ride would be nice, maybe a bit more broke in feel straight from the box.

The length seemed right but the shoe was too wide! It made me sad because I think they would be perfect for what I wanted. Plenty of room to remove the insole and add my own. The top did come up very high on the foot so that could cause a possible issue with rubbing.

These shoes made me so sad. They are absolutely the WORST pair of Keen shoes that I own and I own at least 20 pairs of Keens. I bought them because I was looking for a cute shoe that I could wear with shorts, skirts, and jeans on a European vacation with LOTS of walking. Around the house, they were great but once I got to London and was doing a ton of walking they were AWFUL! The insoles are way too squishy making you feel like you're trying to walk on marshmallows. All of that squishiness means that within 30 minutes you will have blisters on your toes - and pretty awful ones at that. After spending time walking in them and then walking/standing for 2 hours at the Churchill War Museum, your feet are so tired and sore that you want to die. As soon as you reach your destination for the evening you will rip out the insoles and put ANYTHING else inside to give you some street feel/traction. Luckily, I had brought a pair of drugstore insoles with me that I used for the remainder of the trip but I still had to bandage my toes every day and my feet would be terribly tired by the end of the day because the soles are just not firm enough to protect your feet from all of the uneven walking surfaces you will experience on a European trip. In fact, halfway through the trip I ditched these shoes and ended up wearing my good, ole, reliable 1st generation Presidio oxfords. They may not have looked as cute with shorts and a skirt but at least my feet weren't rubbed raw and in pain by day's end. By the way, I did read a LOT of reviews before purchasing these shoes and so many of them mentioned how awesome they were for European vacations. I also wore them in my house with the socks I was going to wear in Europe for several weeks before I left, so this wasn't an issue of the shoes needing to be broken in. I don't know why my feet are so different from all of the other reviewers but, I'd say, if you have "older" feet (I just turned 50 this year) and need something with a stiffer sole that will actually protect your feet from feeling every undulation in every cobblestone you set foot upon, then DON'T buy these shoes! By something like the Presidio or Terradora instead. The Presidio is European-proven with this world-traveler. The Terradora is not yet proven but I can tell a huge difference in the fit and sole of this shoe and believe it would have served me much better than the Elsa III Sneaker in Europe. If you want to have a cute shoe to wear on short shopping trips at home, then these are fine but don't expect to get anything more out of them. Soooo disappointed in Keen on this model and I regret this purchase completely.

I really wanted to keep this shoe, it looked so nice. However, quality control seems to have gone downhill since I last purchased a pair of Keens, which is pretty disappointing since I will have to find a new shoe brand in the same style. The tongue of the right shoe was a bit defective. Instead of cleanly being attached to the shoe in a diagonal line like the left, it had an L shaped point of attachment. The excess fabric and stitching proceeded to stab into my toe every time I bent my foot when walking. I tried to ignore it and walk around my house to see if it helped break it in, it did not, it just irritated me. I would buy these again if I knew I would get a pair that has better quality control. I could also see glue at the top of the rubber toe cap, sadly these have to go back.

Not great. Frustrating. The shoe was a tad long. I could have handled that, but the heel was way too wide. Plus the inside stitching was rough and terribly scratchy. Honestly, I don't know how Keen's quality control could roll out these shoes to consumers and expect people to buy these once they tried them on! Pity, because they are so cute. Oh well, back they go.

I love Keen shoes. However, there is a design flaw in these that another reviewer mentioned. There is an irritating section near the intersection of the tongue of the shoe and the seamline in this area that rubs. I couldn't keep these shoes because I was concerned about the effect on my foot if I walked for an extended period of time. So sad that I have to return these really cute shoes.

I really liked these for the width in the toe box. The biggest problem was the material and stitching used on the tongue of these shoes. It was like having hard plastic rubbing the top of your foot. If you wear socks, it probably wouldn't be an issue. I was hoping for a summer sneaker that I didn't need socks for.

I have 2 pair of quilted Elsa II sneakers and I absolutely love them!! However, the Elsa III were not at all comfortable for me. I found the canvas fabric to be quite stiff and uncomfortable. In addition, the toe box is wider in the Elsa III so that the fabric "scrunched" a little and looked strange when I tightened the laces to accommodate the width. The length was good as was the color (steel gray) but I think they look a little too monochromatic with the laces and stitching and fabric all being the same exact color. They aren't for me and I am returning them.

I have an earlier version of this shoe that I absolutely love. This shoe, however, has zero arch support which is one of the things I love best about Keen shoes. I was really disappointed!

I own two pair of the Elsa II sneakers and they've been great, but they're starting to wear out, so I thought I would try the Elsa III. I was SO disappointed in these. They feel much less sturdy and not as well made as the Elsa II, and they are absolutely huge--too long and too wide! I wore an 8 in the Elsa II, and the Elsa III fits like an 8.5, or possibly even a 9. They are so wide that even if I sized down, I know they would not fit me in the width. The style is also unattractive--not at all 'cute' like the previous Elsas. Too bad....hope they return to 'normal' next year!