Keen Newport H2

Comment: It was well past time to replace my set of H2 sandals. Quick search, quick order, and quick delivery were the hallmarks of dealing with this vendor. As a bonus, the company reused an old KEEN box for packaging. While the box was gently used, the sandals were pristime - which is just fine with me. There's no need to stand on cememony with a sparkling box: just get me the sandals I need at an affordable price and on time. That's just what they did.

Comment: These Keen Newport H2 Sandals are very comfortable much better than my Teva's. I ordered the same size as my tennis shoes. I would not hesitate to buy this product again. The supplier in Spokane, Washington was great. I have recommended them to everyone. Amazon is so easy to deal with.

Comment: I purchased these for my husband. These are the only type of sandals he will wear. He is usually an 8.5 but we had to send those back and order a 9.
He loves to wear them on vacation and at the beach. The only down side is they give him a very funny tan line.
I highly recommend them if your husband does not like to wear flip flops but would like to try a sandal.

Comment: I used to wear Teva sandals with the Spider sole, which was the best for climbing around wet granite creaks in the Southern Sierra north of Lake Isabella. The soles of other sandals and boots did not grip as well, and slipping there is dangerous. In the Summer of 2009 I wore Keen Newport H2 sandals, and they were as good as the Spider sole on the Tevas. The Keen is more protective because of the toe guard, and about the same for picking up and then releasing sand and pebbles between my foot and the sandal upper. The Keen lasted five or six months, I wore them all the time when I was not at work. On hikes, walks in the neighborhood and on the beach, as a casual shoe in Winter with a liner sock. Good on wet concrete and pavement, too. The tread wore out and the balls of my feet made such a deep indentation in the upper that there was not enough cushioning any more. The rest of the sandal was still in great shape, no thread problems for me. By the way, I always left the "tie" in its most loose position, except in creeks. I will replace them when the local REI restocks in Spring 2010. Till then, Crocs in the city and at the beach. I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon, but not shoes.

Comment: I love these sandals.

- They are very rugged.

- The snug, secure fit over the foot and around the ankle paired with the unique toe space (see caveat below) matches my preferred fit for a shoe.

- The foot bed has just that right amount of cushion and comfort while still feeling solid and stable. They really hit the "magic" mix on this.

- The bolstering around the heel and arch eliminates side to side movement creating a very stable feel about these shoes.

- The hybrid nature of these shoes causes me to reach for them FAR more often than my sandals or hiking/walking shoes. Have you ever tried to run in sandals? How long does it take to dry hiking shoes after a wade?

Now to my small caveats:

1. It may be just that I have an abnormally tall big-toe, but I could stand just one more millimeter of space in the toe well over the top. In fact, the first time I bought a pair of these, I had to return them after a couple days because my toenail just-barely touched the top of the toe well and made me nuts. Eventually I found a pair that had just that tiny bit of extra space and I snatched them up. This brings me to my second caveat.

2. You wouldn't expect it, but the size variation across styles and even within the same style is pretty significant. I was sure I would never be able to own a pair of Keens because of the toe fit thing. When I found them on sale recently, I decided to have another try. To my surprise, I found a pair of original Newport in 10.5 (my size) that fit AWESOME with no toe problems...But they were leather, which I didn't want, and they were just the most ridiculous light green color. Next I tried the H2s with nylon straps. The first 10.5 was way too small, for fun I tried two other 10.5s, all of which felt like they were different sizes. Then I tried an 11. These were too big by a long-shot. I was ready to leave when I tried an 11.5 on a whim and they fit perfectly...

I think you need to try these shoes on before you buy. I buy everything I can online, but in the case of Keen shoes, I would be really hesitant.