KEEN  Hightrail Polar Hiking Boots - Men's

Given that these boots are a contoured fit, I ordered a size up. I have always worn a 13 in Keen shoes and boots, but I ordered a 14 in these (there is no half size between 13 and 14). I had to remove the thermal insoles because I wear orthotics, but the boots fit perfectly. In my case, they run a full size small, so take that into consideration. The boots look great. They don't look clunky. I've been wearing them around the house and they definitely feel lighter and more "sneaker-like" than my Targhees. They don't feel soft in the Hoka sense of soft. They are more comfortable out of the box than my broken-in Targhees. I can't wait to try them out strapped into snowshoes or just out taking a walk or hike.

These shoes have an extremely skinny footbed which pinches the bones on the sides of my feet, even while walking around my house. The toebox is relatively wide (though not as wide as most Keen shoes). Making matters worse, the rockered sole design puts most of the impact of the shoe onto the pinched instep area, which is not a pleasant place for one's weight to rest. Sadly, this shoe is just another example of the latest trend among many manufacturers to over-engineer the footbed of hiking shoes --too bad, really, because the design of the uppers is very likeable and comfortable. Unfortunately, I waited too long to return these and even though I have not hiked in them, I'm stuck with them.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] These boots are awful on wet surfaces. One drop of water and they slip like walking on ice. Also insoles have no arch support.