Keen Footwear Sandal Review

silenthunterstudios said:
I'm gonna have to check those out. I usually go with Nike sandals through the summer. I have hobbit feet, so that may be a bad idea. My dog has eaten every pair of Nike sandals that I've owned, so that may be a sign that I shouldn't wear sandals either.
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As another with hobbit feet one of the nice things about the keens is they cover up most of your foot while still providing super airflow. You can wear sandals, have protected toes and hide the hair all at once. These really are brilliant. Now if only they would team up with chaco to make a true hiking sandal with the enclosed toe.
 
I can't imagine what Chaco has to offer Keen for making a true hiking sandal. IMHO, Keen H2 is a true hiking sandal!
 
Hi All-

Chaco looks like they have some nice poolside/beach models...but it looks like their technology is a bit behind Keen in terms of real-world functionality. Call me crazy, but I really can't see truly HIKING in remote locations with any sandals on my feet. Why would anyone want to have all the disadvantages of minimalist footwear with the sole advantage being a refreshing breeze through the toes every now and again?

I've been in desert conditions at 120*Fahrenheit and still wore traditional hiking boots with wool socks with absolutely no problems. Fully protected from sharp rocks, insects, pebbles, thorns, and everything else one could encounter in harsh conditions. Were my feet hot? Of course they were...so was everything else!

~ Blue Jays ~
 
All the reveiws I have read by folks using the keen as a hiking shoe have been less then positive. The problem appears to be the amount of motion do to the large toe box and the un adjustable backstrap. The chacos were designed to fit the foot perfectly and be totally adjustable to maintain proper foot/sandall contact. They have been used on some multi-day hikes covering 15 plus miles a day as the only footwear and gotten good reports. Hence my comments and also why initially I was hoping to buy the taos, the boulder looks good too but I haven't found an extended reveiw of either as a hiking shoe. Don't get me wrong, the keens are great and the reveiws other then as primary hikers have all been brilliant. They however are not hiking shoes. The chacos also seem to be the footwear of choice for the folks who work at the bottom of the grand canyon which is what prompted me to take a look at them.
 
Got both the chaco Z2's and the Keen Newport. For everyday wear, the Keen's can't be beat. But, regardless of their utility for hiking, their not suitable for me. Having to wear a 1/2 size too large is just unacceptable for a hiking shoe. (I wear an 8 1/2, and the Keens only come in whole sizes) The Chacos are only suitable for ultra light hiking, but with less than 25# on my back, they work fine.

Dave
 
I wear my Chacos about 95% of the time during the Summer, they rarely come off. I bought these a couple of years ago and broke them in on a hiking trip to Utah. My break-in was to hike Angel's Landing, a pretty steep 5 mile round trip.
No hot spots but the toe straps did dig in a little on the downhill. Since then, no problems.

We now live in the desert and if I'm doing a long hike I go to hiking shoes and Smartwool socks, good protection and comfortable. Great to slip into the Chacos at the end of the day. An informal watching of feet in the Zion area tells me more serious outdoor persons are wearing Chacos.

Win
 
According to the press that was there specific reason for becoming. The soles are highly non-slip and non-marking... haven't actually been on a boat deck yet but I can't see any reason why they wouldn't be ideal for that purpose.
 
Geoff in Philly said:
are the H2's any good on a boat deck?...I don't want to get the specialized boat shoes if the H2's are decent...
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I deep sea fish off of my friends party boat and I wear the H2's. They have not failed me yet nor do I expect them to.
 
Welcome to the club. Not very exclusive, but we have comfortable feet, which is the important part! My friend owns a clothing/shoe store in Saugatuck and they've sold as many as 50+ pairs in ONE DAY, and the place is tiny. They're great shoes, and they have some interesting, well thought out characteristics (skid free rubber, pigskin leather, zinc anti-fungal footbed, blah blah blah).
 
roughedges said:
I'm either a 12 or 13 depending on the shoe. For any big footed keen wearers, do these shoes tend to run large or small? I'm really liking the look of the bronx shoe.

If I could get it in my size and the color I want it would be even better. :D
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I think they run small, though my only experience is with the Bronx model shoes. I really wanted these because they look pretty wide, and I have what my wife calls "Fred Flintstone feet." I usually wear a 13, and sometimes a 12 in some brands. The Keen Bronx that I tried on in size 13 were way too small for me. They don't make that model in size 14 and I think it would have been too large anyway. I may try on some sandals at some point, but my Chacos make me very happy. Plus the Chacos come in Wide.
 
I think they DO come in half sizes. I know I'm wearing a 10.5 right now. Oh, no, wait, I took them off a little while ago. Couldn't tell the difference.
 
I have a pair of Newport H2's, and my leather "work" Newports. My Wife has a pair of Keen Providence and a pair of Keen Jamestown slides.

Keens are great, what else can I say.
 
I've actually been quite pleased with the reefs... Got them november of last year, worn them every day its been warmer than 50 degrees. Can get a bit slick if its wet on a slick concrete floor, but not terrible.

Soles arent showing any wear to speak of, I trust them not to leave me stranded! These are black foam/rubber and nylon... Dont remember the name they had for them.

(Replaced my birkenstocks... more comfortable!)
 
Moosejaw.com has a buy two get one free deal going on Keen's as well as some other brands. Since I couldn't get to it easily from the main page, here is the link .

I only bought one or two things from them but they were fine. FYI.
 
Based on the observations of every human being I know who owns Chacos, you have to expect a rather long "break in" period with them. My wife's feet look like she had someone putting cigarettes out on her feet from all the strap wear, and this has been true of a lot of people through my friend's show store. Most people say they are comfy once they're broken in, but I have yet to hear of anyone who didn't complain quite a bit about their Chacos for a week or two before they were tolerable...
 
Chiro,
I didn't have any problems breaking my Chacos in and I am prone to blisters. I think a lot of people may have the strap too tight. Unless I am walking on rough terrain I keep mine pretty loose. I think a good rule of thumb for Chacos would be to put them on and snug the strap, then loosen the strap a little bit in each area.

Every shoe isn't for every person either though. I bought a pair of Chaco Chongs and hate them. I can't get them to fit me correctly. I've been thinking about sending them back to Chaco with a letter to see if they will give me some sort of credit on them.

Edited to add- my opinion is based on long time use of Chacos and experience selling them. My first pair were from the outdoor store I worked in and were called Geckos.
 
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