This is my third pair of Keen shoes, and the first that I dared buy online, sight-unseen. You see, I loved my last pair (a design they apparently don't have anymore) so much that I wore them thin--really, I wore the sole right through underneath the ball of my foot! I still continued to wear them long after I could feel every pebble or crack beneath my feet... Finally, in an effort to ween me away from the weary old pair, my wife suggested I buy a new pair (gasp!).

As I mentioned, I bought these online because I know that (a) every pair of Keens I've had has been a favorite daily-wear shoe for me, (b) I know my usual shoe size will fit just fine with whatever style they have, and (c) they're bound to be comfortable. I could hardly handle waiting for them to arrive, and was checking for new packages several times a day.

Once they finally did arrive, I opened the box and was pleased to find that their actual color is perhaps a bit darker than I had imagined from some of the pictures, and that's just fine with me. (I tend towards the more casual, active shoes even with my spiffier work clothes, so the darker leather looks good.)

The very next day I wore them to work, and the day after that too--something about the comfort level of Keens makes them wearable from the very start, no "break-in period" necessary.

Of course, since it's the middle of winter here, the shoes have already gotten their share of testing in snow and sleet. The treads do fine if there's any grit or edge on the ground, but as expected the shoes are still slippery on ice (for some reason I feel my heels slipping more than the toes).

Okay, so maybe you'll think I'm a "nutcase" for loving these shoes so much (get it? "nutcase" is the color description, ha!), but I don't mind... I'm just happy to have a new favorite pair of shoes!