Keen Boulder Sandals

Field Report

Biography

Name:  Ashlee Gunter         
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 1" (1.55 m)
Weight: 110 lb (50 kg)
Email address: Ashlee(dot)gunter(at)gmail(dot)com
City, State: Baton Rouge (Denham Springs), LA
Date: 08/15/2005

Backpacking Bio:
I have been backpacking and hiking most of my life. While I was growing up, my father was a Scoutmaster. He would load my sister and me up with packs, just like the guys, and take us along with him on their trips. As I've grown, I've had the opportunity to hike and backpack in Florida, Utah and Idaho, and now presently Louisiana and Mississippi. I've hiked terrain from high desert to swamp and most anything in between.  My backpacking partners include my husband, our 4 yr old son, and sometimes our dog, Brownie.  Since my husband and I share our son's load, I am always looking for ways to cut bulk and weight from my pack without sacrificing comfort.  I am not an ultralight extremist and will carry a little extra if it makes my trip more pleasant. Because of a busy life, my trips are limited mostly to day or weekend trips.

Product Information

Manufacturer:	Keen Footwear
Website:	www.keenfootwear.com
Manufacture Year:	2005
MSRP:	Not Listed
Listed Weight:	9.3 oz  (264 g) per shoe
Actual Weight:	10 oz (283 g) per shoe

Test Locations

I began this test series in June and have used these shoes in different locations during that time.  The majority of the time, I have worn them in South Louisiana.  During this portion of the test series, the temperatures have been hot with high temperatures between 70F (21C) and 95F (35C).  Of course, the exceptionally high humidity common to this area has prevailed. Thunderstorms have been prevalent in the afternoons.  I also wore these shoes on a trip to the panhandle of Florida.  This trip was in July.  The temperatures were around 85F (29C) and there was little rain during this trip. The activities I've participated in while wearing these shoes have included hiking and camping.  They have also been worn on quite a few visits to my local water park this summer. 

Listed Features

• Patent Pending Dual Density EVA midsole provides balanced support and toe off
• Non marking, Deep Lug Carbon Rubber Outsole. Excellent tracking in loose dirt, scree, or rock..
• Synthetic and Webbing Upper encapsulates the foot and acts as a sandal.
• Padded Arch Brace wraps foot for added stability.
• Metatomical- Removable Footbed.  Cushion under foot. Accommodates orthotics.

Field Information

Ultimately, my first experience with the Keen Boulders left a lot to be desired.  I wanted to test them out before I took them hiking, so I wore them to the water park in the city I live in.  At first, I was happy with them.  The foot-bed and arch support was very comfortable.  I appreciated the softness on my feet.  I was very happy to find that they were just as light when fully submersed in water, as they were when they were dry.  Unfortunately, they quickly began to give me hot spots.  By the end of the day, I had blisters on my heels and my insteps on both feet.  Needless to say, I was not very happy at this point.  Since we have season passes to the water park, this was a good place to continue wearing the Keen Boulders until they broke in.  Although they quit giving me blisters, I was still having some minor problems with them.  The right shoe kept loosening on me.  I also noticed that they did not dry very quickly on the inside.  This was not comfortable in the hot Louisiana sun.  If I spent more than 15 or 20 minutes out of the water, my feet were sweltering inside the shoes. I could only relate it to a steam bath for my feet.

After the Keen Boulder shoes were broke in, I was willing to take them hiking.  I took them on a trip to the panhandle of Florida.  On this trip, I had the opportunity to take them into many different environments.  When hiking and setting up camp in the woods, I noticed that dirt and rocks would get inside of the Boulders.  This was not different from any other sandals, except that with the Boulders, they would get stuck in the shoe.  Anytime I got debris in my shoe, I would have to take off the shoe to empty it out.  I also had the opportunity to visit a cave.  In the cave, I was impressed with the Boulders.  There were areas of the cave that were moist and sloped downward.  Many people were slipping in these spots, but I walked down it effortlessly.  The tread on the Keen Boulders proved to be excellent.  The next place I took them on this trip was to a barrier island.  I wore the Keen Boulders (briefly) while hiking across the island.  It took me about five minutes of letting the sand collect inside the shoes to figure out that I was better off barefoot.  On another part of this trip, I hiked a natural spring with a sandy bottom.  This is where I found out that water and sand do not mix when it comes to the Keen Boulders.  Having the wet sand inside my shoes was quickly rubbing my feet raw.  I also spent much of this time hiking barefoot, as well.

Since that trip, I have been apprehensive to take them on any real hiking trips.  I do not want to find myself a few hours into a hike and having problems with my shoes.  I have worn them hiking on short trips, and have continued wearing them on trips to the water park.  They perform well at the water park as long as I am in the water.  When I am out of the water, I continue to have problems with the shoes not drying out.  Like I said before, this is not pleasant in the Louisiana heat.  The right shoe is also still continuing to loosen up on me.  It seems that cord-lock is slipping.

I have been happy with the durability of the Keen Boulders.  They have been worn many times throughout this test period.  Each time they have been worn, they have been completely submersed multiple times throughout the day.  The shoes have shown very little signs of wear.  The leather and the straps are very strong.  Initially I had been concerned about the soles being glued instead of stitched, but this does not seem to be a problem. I do not see any areas where they are coming loose.

Overall Comments and Future Test Plans

The one thing that perplexed me during this test period was why I had only minor problems while wearing these shoes at the water park and in the cave, yet major problems when I was hiking.  The common thing in all of the places I was hiking was dirt.  At the water park there was no dirt, only concrete.  It seemed whenever dirt or sand was entered into the equation, I had problems with the Keens.  I believe the sides must be too high on the shoes and that is what keeps the dirt and the sand inside of them.  The dirt and sand then rubs between my feet and the shoe.  That is when the problems begin.  This leads me to believe that the Keen Boulders would be good shoes to wear in a rocky area.  They would also probably be good on a boat or tube. 

I am going to test out these theories during the remainder of the test period.  In Louisiana, there are a couple of areas that are rocky with creeks running through them.  I am going to spend some time hiking at these places and see how the shoes do.  To get to these areas, I have to hike through some sand and dirt.  I think it is safe to assume that I will continue having problems with the Keens in these conditions.  I plan to wear some other shoes in the sandy areas and then swap to the Keens when I get to the rocky area.  I will also wear the Keen Boulders on canoe trips during the remainder of the test period.  Additionally, I will continue to watch the durability of the shoe.

Things I Like

• Lightweight
• Good traction
• Durability

Things I Don’t Like