I received a pair of KEEN Footwear’s Davenport boots for review and have been wearing them for nearly 6 weeks; working on hard packed dirt, concrete, gravel, and rough wood surfaces. They are my first pair of newer-tech boots and they are quite different than the traditional leather ankle-highs that I have been wearing for many years. The first difference is the striking look! I admit it; I find the modern looks of boots like these and the new generations of cordless and hand tools to be very appealing. Of course visual appeal is not enough. Boots have to bear your weight, protect your feet, keep them dry, provide suitable traction, and keep you comfortable throughout a long work day.
Judging the performance of the KEENs would take a while as I adjusted from some broken-down boots of indeterminate age to something new and fresh. My immediate impression was that walking in these was like walking in a new, high quality running shoe. They have a cushioned feel that I’ve never had in a work boot, at the same time offering firm support. The double E seemed a bit narrower compared to that size in my Redwings, but that has not been a factor.
The Davenport features a composite toe, that protection being indicated by a little yellow caution symbol up front. I haven’t worn hard-toed boots in years, although I think my job requires it. I have sometimes rested heavy items on the toes of my boots so they wouldn’t touch the ground and have sometimes regretted it! Now I’m equipped to do that without pain and without heavy boots. There is certainly no weight penalty here, an advantage of the composite toe over steel.
I had trouble getting the laces as tight as I wanted for the first couple of weeks until I finally pulled them out of the slots in the tongues. I just didn’t want to pull hard on them and stress the tongue material and the loops on either side; consequently I was not lacing up as firmly as I wanted. Once I freed them, I was able to pull harder without worry, and it was easier to get the boots on as well. The laces stay tied! That is not as common as one might think. I can tie the boots in the morning and have them stay tied all day. But why are they long enough to to have loops and ends drag on the ground? For double knots? This is close to pet peeve territory here, but fortunately not quite there.
I’m roughest on my boots at the toe. This is likely to be from all the time I spend on my knees working low. Come to think of it, I also frequently kick things into place. The accompanying picture shows how worn the front of my old boots are compared to the back. They sport the inevitable holes that let water, dirt, and sand inside. After nearly 6 weeks, the Davenports don’t have a mark on the toe, or anywhere! Other than some light dust, they are like new. My daughter has a pair of KEENs that she wears for her gardening business and she’s had them for over 7 years! I’m anticipating long life for mine, too.
These boots are possibly the most comfortable I’ve ever had for work. Supportive yet soft, tough enough to get knocked around, and waterproof too.
Maybe my highest praise stems from how I feel after work. It used to be that I was desperate to get my boots off the minute I got home. Now, with the KEENs, I frequently forget that I still have them on.
-dvl
P.S. I’m happy to say that an expanding line of KEEN Footwear is designed and manufactured in the US.
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