KEEN Utility mens Braddock Low Height Steel Toe

I bought these shoes a little over a year ago to replace some other Keens I had purchased over a year prior to that. The prior pair were the Flint 2 low steel toe. Another very nice shoe which I will review on its page.I went with Keen because their shoes fit my feet so well. I have idiopathic peripheral neuropathy which means I have nerve pain in both my feet but I don't have diabetes. If my feet aren't properly supported, by mid afternoon of trudging around, the soles of my feet can feel as if they have been lit on fire.I live on a small homestead farm so we have a few goats, cows, pigs and horses as well as a bunch of dogs to tend to. I have to deal with lots of 50lb bags of feed, putting up fencing, moving hay, walking on rough, sometimes muddy ground. I used to wear 5" rise boots for ankle support but my ankles have strengthened up enough to be able to get by with the low profile shoe which is a little bit cooler in this Texas summer heat. These aren't waterproof but a low shoe that's waterproof is really not offering that much protection so to me it wasn't that big a deal. They seemed to do a decent enough job of keeping my foot dry working in wet and soggy areas.I went with the soft toe in these as opposed to the steel toe. I was having problems of my socks getting destroyed by me unconsciously lifting my toes up against the steel toe. My socks and toes have fared much better with these shoes. The heavy rubber cap has done a very nice job of providing protection while being soft enough not to cause damage to my socks or toes. Because these are substantially built they are a little heavier than other shoes with mesh but still lighter than those with the steel toe.Traction has been good on all types of surfaces. I have a large wooden deck and a couple of ramps on my property that can get quite slick after they get wet. I have not had problems with these slipping out from under me.The laces are fairly good and hold a knot well but the outer sheath on one did wear through at one of the lace loops at around 8 months of nearly daily wear. I would recommend buying a second pair of laces.I have worn these shoes nearly every day and have not babied them in any way. Only thing I've done other than spray off mud from the soles and change broken laces, the uppers and soles have really held up well. They do look well worn but do not have any tears or holes. The insoles have not held up as well. Some of the cloth covering has rubbed off and they have split around the heel cup. This has effected the feel of the shoe enough to where I'm looking to either replace the insole or buy a new pair. I do not fault the manufacture of the shoe at all. Any work shoe that is used hard is going to eventually break down and wear out. Make them any tougher and they won't be comfortable. I highly recommend this shoe. Well worth the cost.

I had ordered a pair of the black and yellow Nautilus 1925's in a 9.5 EE size and they were too narrow. They were cheaper price wise, around $70 but the quality compared to the Keen's is poor. I ordered the Keen 9.5 EE and they fit well but could be a tiny larger but it's not a big deal for me.The Keen's were $50 more than the Nautilus but they have a real insole with arch support and they don't feel like "Earth Shoes" like the Nautilus 1925's do when you first walk in them. For those unfamiliar with the "Earth Shoe" they were a goofy trend shoe in the 1970's and early 1980's that had soles thicker under the ball of the foot than the heel and it felt like you were walking up hill - like the Nautilus 1925's.The build quality of the Keen's is where you see where the extra $50 went versus the Nautilus shoes. The Keen's are double stitched all the was around, heavy duty lacing loops and a sole that looks like you could jump onto a bed of nails and be safe. The characteristic "Keen Toe" is a little odd looking but these aren't Jimmy Choo shoes. I bought them for weight lifting in the gym to protect my toes and for riding my Harley. I found out the hard way that "composite toes" in motorcycle boots don't do much when you slide on asphalt. I ground right through the toes of my composite cycle boots so it's steel toes for me on my cycle. The "Made In America" tag was the finishing touch for me. I'm sick of buying cheap import junk and I decided to do my best to try to buy American products whenever the opportunity presents itself. I'd recommend buying a 1/2 a size larger because a steel toe boot will not "break in" very much. Other reviewers have reported that the uppers are "stiff" which is accurate but these are weigh lifting and cycle boots for me, not running shoes.One week later - 10 hours of wear at the gym lifting and using cardio machines. The fit remains perfect. I didn't think these would be usable for cardio but they work well on both a recumbent bike and an elliptical. I can do wall sits with these shoes in total comfort. My old Converse composite toe shoes were super painful for that exercise. Another reviewer commented that the uppers were too stiff. These Keen's are stiff but for me that was a hidden benefit because I found that I can slip these on without untying the laces. Overall, these Keen's are surprisingly comfortable with a high build quality, made in the USA and are rapidly becoming more than just a safety shoe for the gym.

This is my second pair. I got my first from a local boot shop. They have lasted over a year I replaced the insert about 8 months in to get more life and comfort. I work in a warehouse as a maintenance technician so I am always on my feet on concrete and these shoes beat any redwing shoe. They are a little heavier than others but hold up way better. I would recommend to anyone and 2 of my coworkers have switch to them and love them.

I like these shoes.They are hard-toed.They are comfortable.The only thing I don’t like?The shoe laces broke.The shoes seem to be great quality, but the laces? Not so much.