Reader Reviews

Rating: 3 / 5

I have searched for a durable hiking sandal for years. I have not had much luck.

The much touted Tiva sandals disinegrate in a matter of months of rough use. Recently I tried a pair of Keens from REI because they offer the lifetime satisfaction gaurantee.

While they are not perfect they do offer alot of advantages to someone with hot feet that balk at the idea of being contained in a sock and a boot.

The drawbacks to a sandal are certainly that they don't keep your feet dry and warm in cold weather. In the deserts around Yuma AZ I discovered that sand tends to ball up and solidify under ones foot and also that any kind of sharp prickly thing from the desert floor tends to find itself into the footbed. Wearing a thing liner sock can help but if you are in deep sand you might wish you had a pair of boots and gaitors.

With all that being said I am going to do as much hiking as I can this summer in sandels as opposed to a closed boot. They work better than boots in most summer conditions for me.

Rating: 4 / 5

I have a pair of these, the leather, not the H2 model. I wear then all the time. Every day. They have a lifetime warranty, so if you can break them, keen will replace them.

As far as hiking goes, I took them of the SHT for a 4 day trip this past June. They were really nice and freeing, but not much lateral support, as with any sandal. But no blisters and my feet were very comfortable.

My favorite thing to do with them is canoe. I take them in the boundary waters. They are great for wet portages and jumping in and out of the canoe, because I wear a pair of smartwool socks with them, so my feet stay warm, even when wet.

The worst thing is that it is very easy to get rocks inside them, which is a pain and the main reason I don't use them much outside canoing and everyday travel.