Excellent Sport Sandal - I'm a Fan for Life
I resisted for a while (years) while my wife raved about her Keen sandals. I like Tevas (Terra Fi 2) and have owned many pairs over the past 10 years. Love them for warm weather hiking around the water and general warm/wet conditions. But I finally gave these Keens a try after wearing out the soles of my Tevas.
The reviewers are right on. They feel like sneakers and I wear them all day with pleasure. These are a great buy. I'm going to buy another pair of Teva Terra Fi 2s also but I do love these Keens.
Pros:
- Rugged build
- Great traction (I think the Tevas are a little better but I hardly notice the difference - that's the key detail)
- I bought the mostly nylon (not leather) version (brown/bison) and they do dry quickly. My wife has the leather version and they're significantly slower to dry - overnight at least.
- Extremely comfortable to wear all day
- I never have to adjust these - they stay on my feet in all conditions with no worries
- Look good with everything
- There is a nice sense of comfort with that toe protector on the front
- Wide toe bed - very nice
Cons if I have to name some (certainly won't deter me from buying these again):
- In the sun the toe bed/cap does get hot on your toes if you hang out in direct sun for a while
- I agree with the other reviews (not necessarily on Amazon) that you'll read regarding the "funk". Yes these do get funky/smelly very quickly - much more quickly than my Tevas ever did. But hey they're outdoor sandals. Throw them into the washing machine or go swimming with them every 3-4 days and you're set.
The "funk" reputation worried me a little so I held off buying these but I can live with it. It's not as bad as I expected. And these are super comfortable!
Added after owning for six months:
I think the Teva Terra Fi 2 probably have a slight edge when it comes to rafting/boating because they dry in record time and you can really tighten them so they don't shift on your foot. So I'd give them a slightly higher score in terms of functionality for the very active or career outdoors folks.
Also I do get annoyed at the gravel that gets stuck in the toe bed of these - I can't shake it loose so I have to take them off and turn them upside down. This wasn't an issue with the Teva open toe design and I kind of miss those days. Last pet peeve: despite what my wife says (she has same kind of Keens) the tread just isn't as good as the Teva's. Conclusion I have to buy both for the forseeable future - they're both solid products and I won't give up either.
Latest and Last Update: the sole gave out in less than a year - literally pieces/chunks fell off. I'm back to Tevas and happier with the much more reliable tread. The Tevas dry much much faster also. I think the Keens are really for wearing when you want to pretend you're doing something active outdoors - they were fine for just walking.
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