Keen Boulder Sandals

Initial 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: 06/10/2005

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

Initial Inspection

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.

Materials

• Upper- Synthetic Webbing
• Lining- Antimicrobial Synthetic
• Rubber- Carbon Non-Marking

Until a couple of weeks ago, there were no stores in my area selling Keens.  Because of this, the only times I had seen a pair (other than pictures) had been briefly on a few trips out of state.  Until I received the Keen Boulders, I was not quite sure what to expect.  I was pleased when I opened the box and found an attractive shoe.  This is important to me, because I wanted to be able to wear them casually, as well as, while hiking.  The next thing I noticed was the weight.  The shoes were very light.  I expected them to be heavier because of the stronger sole. 

The Keen Boulders are very unique in their design.  The concept behind Keens is to create a shoe that is a cross between a trail shoe and a sandal.  I like to hike in sandals, but don’t like stubbing my toes and getting rocks stuck under my feet.  The design of the Keens is supposed to help in preventing those things from happening.  It wraps around the sides of the foot and has a toe like a regular shoe does.  The foot in secured in the shoe by an elastic lacing system.  It tightens by pulling on it, and then the elastic is held in place by a cord-lock.  The remainder of the shoe is designed more like a sandal. This should allow the foot to breathe more than it would in a trail shoe.  The footbed is also removable and allows for orthopedic inserts.  I do not wear inserts, so I do not believe this is a feature I will use too much.

Initial Use

As soon as the Keen Boulder sandals arrived, I tried them on.  I immediately noticed how comfortable they were, but also realized I had ordered them too big.  From the time I had ordered the Boulders until the time they had arrived, a new gear shop had opened up in the city that was carrying Keens.  I was finally able to try a pair on and figure out what size I needed.  I sent back the large pair and ordered a pair that fit.

When the new pair came in, I tried them on and they fit!!! Yippie!! They felt great on my feet and seemed like they would be enjoyable to wear throughout the summer.  I went ahead and kept them on for the hour it took me to cook dinner.  The one thing I noticed was that my feet sweat in them.  I will have to see if this continues to be a problem.  If so, they may only be practical to wear when I am going to be in and around water.  Luckily, I live in South Louisiana and there is no shortage of water here.

Customer Service

When I realized I had to return the Keen Boulders, I was provided with the name and number of a woman at Keen’s Customer Service that would help me.  I called her and reached her voicemail.  The two of us proceeded to play phone-tag for the next day and a half before we caught up with each other.  Once we did, she gave me a Return Authorization number and told me the procedure I needed to take to return the shoes.  I was able to go to the UPS Store to ship them back.  I then received a new pair less than two weeks later.  This was an easy process and I was happy with the results.

Test Plan

I plan to make the Keen Boulders my primary hiking shoe throughout the summer.  I also plan to wear them casually.  Most importantly, are the shoes comfortable?  Do they rub my feet?  Will they cause blisters once they get wet?  The shoe has a tag on it saying they are waterproof.  Will the materials hold up and not be damaged after repeated wettings?  Will the sole be strong and stick to loose surfaces?  Will water collect underneath the removable footbed and weigh down the shoe? Will the shoes remain durable after heavy wear?  I noticed the seams were glued as opposed to being stitched.  This is something that always makes me nervous on shoes that are going to be used for hiking.  Will the seams hold up?  Will the elastic lacing hold up after being pulled on to tighten the shoes numerous times?

Things I Like

• Color
• Comfortable on the foot
• Lightweight

Things I Don’t Like

• Feet sweat
• Glued seams