I've needed safety/steel toe shoes for work for about a year and a half now and I've gone through 4 pairs. Initially I had the Skecher Canktons and they only lasted for about 4 months before the built in memory foam insole wore completely through on the ball of my foot, until then they were pretty comfortable for the price. Then I used the Caterpillar Brode steel toe, and that got me about 10 months or so, they're pretty comfortable like a heavy skate shoe, but they're basic and there's nothing great about them. After wearing those out the outside of my pinky toe joint started rubbing on the inside of the shoe, basically starting to give me a bunion. Because of this issue I bought the Reebok Sublites and used those for about two weeks before i realized they weren't going to work. Because my foot was already aggravated, the same problem persisted. I don't doubt that had I not had this problem they would have been much better.
With all that being said, I was quite disappointed in the Reeboks. The pictures I've added are comparing the Reeboks to the Keens. The Reeboks are basically a basic reebok shoe you'd find at Shoe Carnival with an alloy toe. The worst thing about the shoes are the soles are awful. They're a hard plastic material with no give whatsoever, making walking on concrete just awful. For 100+ i was very surprised at the design. So after this, i forked out the money on Prime day and bought these for 75$ (somehow). I was instantly very impressed and I basically knew they would be great before ever wearing them to work. I did go up half a size and went with wide to ensure i didn't have any issues with the fit.
I've now been wearing these to work for over 4 weeks. The most noticeable aspect about these shoes is comfort. These literally might be the most comfortable pair of shoes i own, including casual shoes. The Keen.regen cushioning thing that is advertised is very noticeable imo, and i didn't expect that. As i said, the Reebok soles are hard as a rock, the Keen soles give a shocking amount when you press them. It almost feels like the shoes propel you forward, then soften the impact each step while you walk. The construction of the shoe seems great as well, they're much more sturdy, while the Reeboks are lighter and are maybe more nimble to walk in. I don't review anything on Amazon which is why this is so long, but I wanted to write this review because i think there are alot of people that have similar problems with safety shoes and can't afford to fork out $100+ every 3 weeks for a new pair. I highly recommend these shoes, I'll be permanently buying Keens until/unless i have a negative experience, and i think these are well worth the 125$ retail price. Buy these if you want to avoid foot pain and don't want to waste money on multiple pairs of safety shoes.

KEEN Utility Men's Vista Energy Low Height Sneaker Composite Toe Industrial Work Shoe
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 1,263 ratings
Price:
Last update: 02-12-2025
Top reviews from the United States

5.0 out of 5 stars Extreme comfort and functionality


Extreme comfort and functionality
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2022
With all that being said, I was quite disappointed in the Reeboks. The pictures I've added are comparing the Reeboks to the Keens. The Reeboks are basically a basic reebok shoe you'd find at Shoe Carnival with an alloy toe. The worst thing about the shoes are the soles are awful. They're a hard plastic material with no give whatsoever, making walking on concrete just awful. For 100+ i was very surprised at the design. So after this, i forked out the money on Prime day and bought these for 75$ (somehow). I was instantly very impressed and I basically knew they would be great before ever wearing them to work. I did go up half a size and went with wide to ensure i didn't have any issues with the fit.
I've now been wearing these to work for over 4 weeks. The most noticeable aspect about these shoes is comfort. These literally might be the most comfortable pair of shoes i own, including casual shoes. The Keen.regen cushioning thing that is advertised is very noticeable imo, and i didn't expect that. As i said, the Reebok soles are hard as a rock, the Keen soles give a shocking amount when you press them. It almost feels like the shoes propel you forward, then soften the impact each step while you walk. The construction of the shoe seems great as well, they're much more sturdy, while the Reeboks are lighter and are maybe more nimble to walk in. I don't review anything on Amazon which is why this is so long, but I wanted to write this review because i think there are alot of people that have similar problems with safety shoes and can't afford to fork out $100+ every 3 weeks for a new pair. I highly recommend these shoes, I'll be permanently buying Keens until/unless i have a negative experience, and i think these are well worth the 125$ retail price. Buy these if you want to avoid foot pain and don't want to waste money on multiple pairs of safety shoes.
Images in this review

5.0 out of 5 stars Best work shoe I’ve had.
Had for over a month now and worn daily at work, these have been the best work shoes I’ve worn. Hard to find a comfortable, light weight, safety toe shoe that checks these boxes. But these are great. Spend the money enjoy your work.

4.0 out of 5 stars Comfortable and good fit.
I've only had these shoes a few weeks. Very comfortable and they fit well. Too early to tell about durability. The only thing I dislike is customer service. I tried calling the customer service number and all it was was a prerecorded phone message. it would say the same thing no matter what my response was. Totally useless.

5.0 out of 5 stars Keen For The Win
I've been wearing the high top version of this shoe for about 2 years now . I usually go through work shoes every 6 months to a year max but the ones I good in 2023 are just now starting to show their age . I am on my feet 9-10 hours a day 5 days a week , concrete and 15k-20k steps lifting , pulling , and pushing , heavy objects .
I chose the color I got for its vibrance .
If these do like the others I have they'll continue to be comfortable for a long time as long as I change out the insoles twice a year and I highly recommend Ken K2 insoles to take the Regen to another level of all day comfort and performance .
For a non leather upper they're surprisingly not bad in cold weather as long as they don't get wet . Even the slightest rain or snow soaks right through , causing my feet to get super cold even on not so cold days .
This is a good choice is you're active on your feet and need a safety toe. Mega slip resistant is another bonus along with their ability to pass electrical hazard certification making this a very flexible design .
I chose the color I got for its vibrance .
If these do like the others I have they'll continue to be comfortable for a long time as long as I change out the insoles twice a year and I highly recommend Ken K2 insoles to take the Regen to another level of all day comfort and performance .
For a non leather upper they're surprisingly not bad in cold weather as long as they don't get wet . Even the slightest rain or snow soaks right through , causing my feet to get super cold even on not so cold days .
This is a good choice is you're active on your feet and need a safety toe. Mega slip resistant is another bonus along with their ability to pass electrical hazard certification making this a very flexible design .

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice shoes
Nice sturdy shoes. Good cushioning and toe protection. They do breathe but my feet still sweat - on the other hand my feet sweat in running shoes too.

5.0 out of 5 stars very happy!
i have 2...one for work, one for everyday...purchased 2nd pair because of how comfortable they are.
good for hot days, and short winter walks - wool socks can help but the shoes get stiff and hard on cold.
i wear #10 with regular shoes, and looks like these are good too, but super fit at first.
Light, you'll forget you have them on. but not sure if waterproof...didn't got them that wet yet.
The 10 wide that i have is not really wide...would love to get 2W, because these seems regular, and I'm sorry if you chose not wide one...unless there is not much difference...luckily i have 10.5 for work, so they give me a bit more space, and at 160lbs(including the shoes) my feet are really not that wide
i'll give 6* for double wide tho
good for hot days, and short winter walks - wool socks can help but the shoes get stiff and hard on cold.
i wear #10 with regular shoes, and looks like these are good too, but super fit at first.
Light, you'll forget you have them on. but not sure if waterproof...didn't got them that wet yet.
The 10 wide that i have is not really wide...would love to get 2W, because these seems regular, and I'm sorry if you chose not wide one...unless there is not much difference...luckily i have 10.5 for work, so they give me a bit more space, and at 160lbs(including the shoes) my feet are really not that wide
i'll give 6* for double wide tho

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice shoes... wrong size?
I work on my feet all day long and normally do 20,000 steps a day so I go through work shoes fast. I tried these hoping they would give better support and last longer than other options. While they do have good support, within a day of wearing them both of my ankles had the skin ripped off the back of them. Whether I Ordered the wrong size or not, there is a piece of fabric inside the back of the heel of the shoe that clearly was the reason. Will no longer wear them due to this. But if they fit good, I could see them being good shoes!