KEEN UtilityMen's Vista Energy+ Low Height Composite Toe ESD Leather Industrial Work Shoes

These shoes are heavy duty and made to last. The material is thick and durable, which is a must for a work shoe or great for someone who is rough on shoes. Unfortunately, they are pretty narrow, which made them uncomfortable for my husband. To give context, he normally wears a 9 which is the size I ordered. He typically doesn't wear a wide in shoes either.A size up and/or wide fit may be the best option if giving these shoes a try.

Keen makes great shoes, love them. Don't love these as much. Actually ordered half to one size up. Still, my toes can feel a little pressure on each side of them. Unfortunately, the guard is not going to break in since it's made to be hard. The shoes could definitely be improved with a little loop on the back to pull them on easier. With work shoes, you really don't want to be handling much of your shoe's exterior if they're muddy and dirty. The loop helps a lot with ease of putting them on. Also, I have to admit, they are a little bit ugly. But they're black, so noone's really gonna notice. Otherwise, very solid built shoe as I expect from Keen. This one might be better to try in store to make sure that your toes fit.

The first thing that struck me when opening the box was that all these were missing was some velcro to complete the geriatric styling. I do not care for the appearance at all unfortunately.Besides that they are pretty comfortable and a lightweight alternative to my standard work boots while still offering some protection. They fit perfectly and the composite toe is at a good height where my toes aren't rubbing against it all day.I had to take a star away because of how much I dislike the appearance but despite that I'm still wearing them so that says something.

The media could not be loaded.  Very ugly pair but comfortable and protective

Love these shoes. 1) Composite toe protection so they are light. 2) Laces so you can adjust the tightness. 3) ESD (I don't have that need but some do). 4) Sealed shell (ie not cloth) for environments where you don't want the shoes to absorb all the crap you are working with. The laces and tong are cloth, so just be aware stuff falling from your workbench can still end up inside the material of your shoes over time, but walking through the dew on a lawn for example won't get your feet wet.Style:I saw a few reviews talking about the grandpa look, however just remember these are "work" shoes. They are not intended to be your daily walker about town shoes. Style is relative, and no, these are not stylish, but they are decent. You could, for example stop by a store after work and not be overly self conscious. I put a picture three types of black shoes that I own. A name brand "Air" shoe with no protection. A pair of these that are slip-on's and of course these. You'll need to be the judge for yourself.Fit/ComfortOverall thumbs up. Not as light or comfortable as my N "Air" shoes, but those have almost no protections. The Keen Vista Slips on's that I got previously didn't fit my foot well and there was no way to adjust them, so I had to use two pairs of socks. These shoes lace up nicely, fit well and are actually comfortable on my feet. I wouldn't use these as a daily walking shoe, but I think I could as I forget that I'm wearing these and thats a good thing.My only gripe is the insole. I think its a little cheap and I wish they put a gel insole into the shoe. These fell a little hard, and not enough padding, but that are easily removable and I'll probably put in a different insole. Younger feet may feel differently.

I suppose these shoes are a matter of preference in several ways. Are they a less bulky way to get protection for your feet than typical steel-toed work boots? Absolutely they are. But they also don't provide quite as much protection as steel toes as they're a composite - for most DIYers around the house they're fine, but they do give up some protection, particularly against cutting blades.They're a compromise in other ways too - while no one will mistake steel toe boots for a fashion icon, there are versions that can be at least nice looking. The low-top styling might make these more convenient for more types of wear/day to day use, the combination of the rather dull color scheme, bulky toe piece and the low-top nature means they look rather unfortunately proportioned and not very attractive.And then the final compromise - they provide super support (I think this is supposed to be the energy part) but they aren't the most comfortable because they're so stiff. I suppose this might break in over time, but I couldn't quite get used to them. It also plays in there that they seemed to run a bit small - I'm an 8 in most shoes and the 8 here was very snug. Perhaps the 8.5/9 would have been more comfortable, solving this problem.All that said, particularly at this price, I can't exactly recommend the shoes. But if you get the right size/fit AND you need to prioritize a low-top protective shoe for DIY work around the house, these could certainly be a decent option.