UPDATE: Even though the heel guard is plastic, it broke in after a few shifts and I don't feel any rubbing under my outer ankles anymore. Keen boots have a roomier feel that can be hard to get used to at first if you're used to your toes and feet being strangled by normal boots. I tried some Irish Setter Kasota boots and after one shift the outsides of my big toes are sore. I could feel those thick calluses that I used to have coming back in the near future! I put my Mt. Vernon boots back on after my shift and I had one immediate thought: free your feet!

I've had a hard time finding good boots since I started doing foodservice delivery jobs. I've tried more boots than I'd like to admit. I'm bow legged and Keens are the only boots that keep my knees and rear knee tendons from aching at the end of the day. These are my favorite pair of keen boots. The braddock mids destroyed my feet for some reason. I've had much better luck with 6 inch Keen boots.

The new lacing system is nice. You have the option for a "quick lace" system or a traditional lace through loops system. I prefer to slip my boots on and pull the laces tight rather than having to hook them and then tighten.

I've had this problem with my Rocky S2V boots, but the heel guard was leather and softened up. I move fast and turn around corners a lot during a usual 12 hour shift delivering to Little Ceasar's stores. My right ankle bone digs into the top of the outer plastic heel guard when I'm turning a corner. The Keen Coburg's did this and I returned them because I don't see how that super thick plastic heel guard on them can break in at all. I will update this review later on if these Mt Vernon boots don't eventually soften up in the trouble spot for me.