Keen Detroit Low ESD Steel-Toe Work Boots - Review
Keen Detroit Low ESD Steel-Toe Work Boots
Three things to know about me when it comes to shoes: 1) I am notoriously hard on them (I can wear out a pair in just a few months); 2) I wear tennis shoes 98% of the time (they're just more comfortable); 3) I try not to spend over $40 on a pair (I'm cheap). That being said, I'm pretty picky about my footwear, which creates something of a dilemma. For a pair of shoes to cost over $100, they had better be something special - or at least have the ability to make biscuits!
Enter Keen Footwear. They make a huge variety of shoes for the whole family - even picky guys who hang out in their workshop most of the time. They sent me a pair of their Detroit LOW ESD Steel-Toe work boots to try out. I've had them now for about a month and the last thing I've been is easy on them. I've worn them just about every day for the past 4 weeks - in the shop, around town, to meetings - you name it, I've worn them.One of the things I like most about these shoes is the fact that they look more like a hiking boot than a work boot. And they're lightweight, so I haven't felt like I'm wearing barbells on my feet all day.Here are the shoes after a month of use and some of the conclusions I've drawn.You can click on any of the images below for a closer look.
Comfort:
I wear size 13EE - I have really wide feet and bunions (TMI? sorry, but info you need to know why I'm so picky). These work shoes are some of the most comfortable I've ever worn. My toes have plenty of room to move and don't feel cramped at all. Steel-toed boots that I've worn in the past have either been too tight or have so much room in the toe that I feel like I'm sliding around in them. I hate that! Keen says they use a method of wrapping the toe area in combination with anatomically correct steel inserts that make their shoes comfier. OK, sounds good to me. Bottom line - they're extremely comfy.
I think one of the reasons may be the way the rear of the shoe is designed. I noticed (they didn't tell me this, so I don't know if I'm right) that when the laces are tightened, they draw the back of the shoe against your heel.
The strapping is configured through a reinforced section of the lower part of the shoe that pulls everything together. The result, in my opinion, is a shoe that hugs your foot and doesn't let your heel slide around either. That, in combination with the roomy (but not too roomy) toe area, creates a shoe that molds to your foot. Which brings me to another pet peeve in the world of shoes.
Quality:
I hate it when the heel area inside a shoe starts to ball up and disintegrate. I know, maybe if I spent more than $40 on a pair, this wouldn't happen, but I digress. Here is the inside of the heel on the Detroit.
The white stuff is from my cheap socks. The shoes performed perfectly - they haven't balled up or disintegrated. I'm starting to see that you get what you pay for! Maybe I'll invest in good socks next.
Since I'm what's known as a Supinator (otherwise known as an Under Pronator), I tend to walk on the outside edges of my feet and am, therefore, hard on that area of shoe's sole. I always notice wear on a shoe at this location early on in its lifespan. I found little to no evidence of that on these. Obviously, they use some good stuff in those soles, I reckon. All I know is, they haven't worn down as my other shoes do. They actually look almost brand-new.
Since we're on the ground floor here, let's take a look at the bottom of the shoe for signs of wear. Compared to some of my other shoes, these look good to me. Oh, and they're oil-resistant, to boot!
Another area I checked was the stitching. Cheap shoes tend to literally start unraveling at the seams. I'm guessing that cheap thread abrades more easily every time you scrape up against something. A look at the stitching on the Detroits and I found no evidence of cheap thread or premature abrasion.
This brings me to my only negative about the shoe. I have a deep mistrust of shoe bottoms that wrap around and onto the upper. For whatever reason, they always seem to de-laminate - at least on my shoes they do. I looked for evidence of this on the Keen pair and found a very small area of the toe section had come un-stuck. OK, I'm being really picky here, but I wanted to give you the whole story. It's a tiny little spot and may never get any bigger, but it's there. It hasn't affected anything performance or comfort-related. Just thought you should know.
Conclusions:
I like these shoes for the reasons I've listed above. In addition to all that, Keen also included their ESD (electro-static-dissipating) soles on this pair. This helps reduce static electricity when you're walking. I can say that I haven't shocked myself during the past month, so I'll attribute that to the ESD soles. If you work in sensitive electronic-filled environments, this feature could end up saving your nerves and some circuits at the same time. There's more information on this feature on their website, so check it out.
Finally, I'd like to note that I usually don't wear steel-toed safety shoes (mainly because they're uncomfortable, as I stated above). The beauty of these shoes, because they're comfortable, is they allow me to rest sheets of plywood or drywall on them as I'm setting the sheets down. I've you've moved sheet goods around, you'll understand what I'm talking about. If not, try it and you'll see.
OSHA may frown upon this habit, but it works for me and saves my fingers, so I'm sticking with it.
I have a good friend who buys only expensive shoes. He's always told me they last longer and are a better value in the long run. I'm starting to see his point. I give the Detroit ESD work boots from Keen a solid A for comfort, design and quality. If you need or want steel-toe protection in a comfortable shoe, I'd say you won't be disappointed in these.
Note: They also make this design in a soft-toe model ($130 at post)
For more information on the Detroit Low ESD Steel-Toed Work Boots: CLICK HERE
Check price/purchase Detroit Low ESD Steel Toed boots from Amazon ($140 at post): CLICK HERE