I bought these when they were offered in a purple / pink combo - last year. They were super cute and def waterproof, but the material was WAY too stiff for me: they never "broke in" and had zero "give", even after clocking many miles on trail. Too late for any sort of refund - so I gave them to my Mom to wear when taking out her trash. The tread is amazing so I know Mom won't slip if it's wet or icy outside.
This was A LOT of money to spend on such uncomfortable hiking boots. Maybe I'm just too used to leather hikers? Idk. But these were stiff beyond belief, not breaking in after many months of hiking in.
AND - they have the most narrow toe box EVER. Skinny / narrow footed people will find these comfy I bet. But us Fred Flintstone footed folk will find these tortuous. The wide toe box KEEN *used* to be known for was not a factor at all when these were designed.
(I also bought the Zion sneaker style hikers. In non water proof and waterproof versions. I see KEEN no longer offers non waterproof - prbly because customers complained of the terrible dye issues (dye bled thru the shoes, onto socks and skin. Yuck!). But I found the non waterproof version to be extremely comfy - they had "give" - whereas the waterproof version was stiff and uncomfortable. The dye issues were a concern, but at least the non waterproof ones allowed for a nice walking / hiking / workout experience. )
High or low profile, it seems the Zionic waterproof technology works to keep feet dry but is quite stiff and uncomfortable, all the way around.
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