Keen Shoes

Honu

lost on the mainland
daily wear for me the inserts wear out super quick maybe its I never wear socks ? but they are sandals :)
getting replacement insoles is tough cause of the width

I have trouble with shoes cause I mostly wore rubber slippers or barefoot and strange spread wide island feet that used to be much tougher :) even in PHX when I first got here I could run around barefoot even in summer !!!! now I cant I burn my feet I miss my tough island feet :)

I have a few pair of keens including one boot style for camping but I am not a technical guy ? figure I walk with my 7 year old girl so mostly mellow so cant say much on grip etc.. that wore out super fast brought them back to REI got them replaced ! we are talking 1-2 months the sole was coming apart my early ones and the replacements are doing OK ?

I love the width and wish I could find another wide alternative but cant seem to find one that wide and room for my toes
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
They're fairly mediocre shoes. They're comfortable out of the box, but I'd hesitate to depend on them for serious backcountry hiking or backpacking. They tend to be fairly floppy, and the soles are substandard in their durability and traction characteristics. I've been much more impressed by Montrail, La Sportiva, and Patagonia footwear.
I stopped ordering Patagonia footwear for the store. I applaud Patagonia for trying to stick to their green roots, but their use of green materials like dairy cow leather and reclaimed rubber just didn't produce footwear that would hold up. We warrantied a lot of Patagonia shoes. They're effectively just Merrells (another so-so brand) so it's tough to put them on the same level as Patagonia clothing. Even Yvon Chouinard has stated he regrets having given Merrell the licensing rights to Patagonia Footwear.

My favorite shoe line as of late is Oboz. To date, we've sold nearly 2,000 pair with very, very few failures. The fit is great. Their hand-made production is really impressive. Their customer service is unrivaled.

My other hot new favorite is Salewa out of Italy. Really nice footwear at very un-Italian prices.
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
just looked up the Oboz :) some look a bit Keenish ? but they look cool
oboz-mens-sawtooth-bdry-angle-rg.jpg


curious how wide do these run ?
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
Oboz sorta has a Keen looking mid and outsole, but they're far more durable. They also don't have that bubble-toe look that many people don't like. I can't wear Keens. They look like clown shoes on me. As per the width of Oboz shoes, they're unusual in the sense they fit a very broad range of foot shapes. I think that's the main driver behind their success. Keens fit wide feet and wide feet alone. Not even all wide feet. Wide feet with short toes. The Oboz last coupled with their superior lacing accommodates more feet than we've ever seen in a particular brand.

As a footnote, I've seen a video of how that shoe you pictured is made. Hand sewn. Pretty impressive. The soles are hand glued, the shoes assembled by hand and lovingly boxed by hand. I think they're a great value and the small company of a dozen or so employees in Bozeman, Montana are dedicated to making great shoes.

This is my new fave. These won't fit the widest feet, but they will fit normal width feet with mid/high volume. Absolutely awesome shoes.
sal.jpg
Vibram soles. Heavy toe rand. Very well made.
 
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Honu

lost on the mainland
thanks for the info :)

going to have to stop buy the place you buy for next month when we go camping that way :)
 

Redrock

Observer
I've got a pair of Patagonia approach shoes that have done their job very well, but I don't use them hard. Too bad they haven't held up in your experience- usually Patagonia stuff is very well made, but the Merrell connection would explain why.
 

enzo

Explorer
I have 4 pairs of Keens and I must say they are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned!
 

cobound

Adventurer
I've had a dozen pair...the one shoe I keep going back to. They do run small but wear well. I'm hard on shoes and seem to wear heals out quick, these hold up and soles have treated me nicely. Love'em!

I have a buddy that loves'em as much as me and it's funny how it's one of the first things he shows off when he swings by and has a new pair :)

Grab a pair, affordable. And yes, if you do have problems they have a great return policy.

B
 

keezer37

Explorer
I had a pair of their Deltas for two seasons now. They are holding up well and are incredibly comfortable. I'm thinking, if their winter boots feel this good what do their slippers feel like? "Sleeping bags for your feet", that's my kind of marketing.
 

kevint

Adventurer
I had a pair in which the toe seams broke in only a couple of months. Must have gotten a lemon.
 

xtatik

Explorer
I love Keens. I think the longevity depends on the model and person and their gait. This years thru-hikers on the PCT and AT are reporting anywhere from 600 to just over 1000 miles per pair.... not too bad.
 

TangoBlue

American Adventurist
I just had a lacing loop pull out on my Keens...low miles, disappointed.

Wow... me too. Boots (Detroit Mid, steel toe) are only a month old, too. I'll report back how their warranty system, that I submitted my complaint to 3 days ago, handles this. Other than this I've had no complaints with their other products.
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
buy my keens from REI only had one issue brought them back new shoes :)

just bought another h20 pair on sale for the summer :)
 

TangoBlue

American Adventurist
Wow... me too. Boots (Detroit Mid, steel toe) are only a month old, too. I'll report back how their warranty system, that I submitted my complaint to 3 days ago, handles this. Other than this I've had no complaints with their other products.

Keen stands behind their warranty; they handled it promptly and efficiently through their on-line return system. I'm now in receipt of my replacement boots 3 weeks later. Thanks KEEN!
 

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