Nautilus Safety Footwear Specialty EH N1704 Men's Comp Toe Athletic Work Shoes

Let's start this off the way I start most of my shoe reviews off. I destroy work shoes. If you think you're hard on work shoes, I'm pretty sure I'm harder. I take these things on concrete,asphalt, dirt, mud, rock, gravel. I get glues and wood treatment on them. I walk miles a day and they're all hard miles, I walk fast and turn quickly, jog up stairs and down. I need good work shoes.So take everything I say with that in mind.For this price point ($80) I was pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of mediocre or negative reviews about Nautilus around so I wasn't expecting a whole lot from them. I compare them to other shoes that offer about the same range of options that I'm looking for in a shoe (composite/steel toe in an athletic shoe).I have found them to be less comfortable than both the New Balance shoe(soles crack easily): http://www.amazon.com/New-Balance-MID627-Steel-Toe/dp/B00ASHRPIU/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1431789388&sr=1-1&keywords=new+balance+steel+toeand the Keen(expensive): http://www.amazon.com/Keen-Utility-Mens-Detroit-Steel/dp/B004LE824W/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8They are more comfortable than my Sketcher shoe(I thought this shoe was junk): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AQSFTA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1They held up surprisingly well for the price tag. I got about 8 months out of them, which is actually very good for me, they are absolutely destroyed now though, with holes in the soles and the composite toe starting to rip out of the top. The soles held up rather well all things considered and the rips on top seem to be on par with higher price shoes as well. More durable than expected, though not the most durable shoe I ever owned.These shoes ran a little small and the toe box felt a little tight at my normal size 11, break in period was unpleasant, for the first couple weeks I had serious doubts, and the interior soles are nothing special. I actually just bought a second pair at 11.5 and plan on replacing the interior sole with an aftermarket which will hopefully help with the breakin period and the weak interior sole which I found to be subpar at best.If you're looking for a work shoe that is athletic but still offers a composite toe, these shoes might be worth checking out as long as you keep their limitations in mind and acknowledge the shoe is priced at $80 which is cheaper than a lot of the competition.10/2/2015 UPDATESo I purchased a size 11.5 which is a 1/2 size larger than I normally get, I inserted a pair of $20 Dr. Scholls soles that I got at Target and the comfort level was pretty much night and day for me. The toe box was no longer slightly too small, and with the thicker sole the shoe was the correct fit for my foot. I had almost no break in period with this method.I'm now almost exactly 5 months into this pair of shoes and they're still very comfortable, they're definitely starting to show some significant signs of wear and tear. I think I'll probably get another 2 months, MAYBE 3 (they would be completely destroyed at that point)0, which will put them right in line with the longevity of my last pair.So after my second pair pretty much everything in my original review is holding true, with the addition that you can most likely improve the comfort dramatically by getting a half size larger than your normal shoe and adding your own sole insert, which will of course slightly off-set the lower price of the shoe.I'm not in love with this shoe, but there are no glaring weakness to it that are forcing me to go out and find a different shoe for my next purchase. If I'm not simply feeling bored with the shoe, I'll probably pick up another pair in a couple of months, which is its own positive review if I've purchased 3 pairs of them.

After having ordered a solid pair of winter boots for work (deliver freight for Amazon) summer months rolled around and I realized very quickly that my feet were gonna be miserable in a 3m insulated boot (Chippewa Loggers.) Having remembered the first pair of these that I had, I figured why not buy another pair for the summer months and so I did. They make tolerating the triple digit heat index here in TN somewhat more bearable because at least now my feet aren’t drenched in sweat by the end of my run.

When I first reviewed these I gave them 3 stars, that was a mistake. Below is my updated review.My thoughts when I first received these: Pro's: * Really light weight. * Good looking, look well built. * The laces are unique, really flexible, stay tied, like para-cord without the core. * Cheap price, free shipping, quick delivery. Con's * Even after wearing them for a few days (long days, a lot of walking on concrete) the toes still point upward. * The toe area doesn't seem to be designed quite right. I have a Wide, but my little toes still rub. * The outside back of the heel doesn't look like it will take much abuse by using the other toe to remove the shoe. * These are so light weight I wonder about longevity. * Since wearing these the arthritis in my knees and R. hip have started to ache. Could be coincidental, but the time corresponds with only the use of these shoes. * Given that they're light weight I would have thought these would have been cooler to wear.My thoughts after owning them for a couple months: * The toe/front half of the shoe is constructed strangely. The shoe is dished out in the front, around the ball of the foot. The center of the front half of the shoe is lower and the side taper up. This pinches your toes & causes the shoe to twist beneath my foot, jamming my small toes to grind against the back edge of the composite toe. * They have not begun to come apart, but putting them on, or taking them off, they feel like there isn't much life left in them, like they're not far from falling apart. * The sole is too thin, I'm sure if I stepped on a sharp stone it might punch through the sole. Not a feature you want in a pair of safety shoes. * The heal is not very rugged, so over time they will come apart if I continue to step on the heels to remove my shoes. * The rubber reinforced toe is a nice touch, it seems that the toe will not be a problem with these. * They are light weight and well vented. * I wouldn't recommend buying these.

Update: These shoes are getting close to being replaced as the right shoe has a small hole on the outside edge of the shoe where the fabric meets the sole. Stepping in water with this leaves your foot wet quick. The tread is about gone. The cut from the sharp edge on the composite toe edge hasn't grown bigger so the fabric used doesn't unravel if cut. No doubt these shoes have endured harsh conditions that most people won't subject them to. If you need a lightweight pair of composite toed shoes, these will do well standing up to rigorous use. I will buy another pair soon.In my line of work, boots do not last more than one year if your lucky. My job requires the composite toe for electrical safety standards. These same pair of sneakers cost $140 locally at the boot store. This was the first time I've bought shoes from an online business. They fit well out of the box. I did change the insoles for a more comfortable pair of Dr Scholls. The tread is getting close to being worn off and the right shoe saved the loss of my toes due to a careless coworker running over it. It did damage the fabric at the edge of the composite toe. I don't fault the shoe for breakdown because of extreme duty. Any other applications and these should perform well and save enough money to allow you to buy almost two more pair later on.