Tester Biographical Information:

Name:  Ken Bigelow
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 9” (1.8 m)
Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg)
Email:   krb84108 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Date: August 7, 2005

Backpacking Background:

I was first dragged on a backpacking trip eight years ago and have been addicted to it ever since.  My adventures vary in length from a weekend to over two weeks.  I consider myself a mid-weight backpacker as I bring along a few luxuries, such as a tent.  From spring through fall I typically backpack in the mountains or desert, while in winter I often go snowshoeing.  I typically see a wide variety of climates ranging from 10 F (-12 C) with snow to 90 F (32 C) and sunny with just about everything in between.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Keen
Website: www.keenfootwear.com
Size: Men's 10 US
Listed Weight: 11.6 oz (329 g)
Measured Weight: 12 oz (340 g) per Sandal; 1 lb 8 oz (680 g) for the pair
Color: Dark Grey/Loden (Dark Grey/Red Rock &  Black Navy also available)
MSRP: $90 US

Field Conditions:

The Keen Boulder Sandals have seen action in Capital Reef National Park, Fish Lake National Forest, the Wasatch Mountains, The High Uintas Wilderness and in Bryce Canyon National Park.  Additionally, I have worn them just about everyday at home or when running errands around town.  The terrain has varied greatly and has included wet and muddy corridors, slickrock, steep and rocky terrain, snow-covered trails and plain old dirt paths.  Temperatures have ranged from 50 F (10 C) to 95 F (35 C).   I have seen all types of weather ranging from heavy rain to sunny.  The elevations experienced have been between 4,000 feet (1,220 m) and 10,000 feet (3,048 m).

Field Review:

As a water shoe the Keen Boulder Sandals have performed better than any other piece of footwear I have ever owned.  They provide better traction for stream crossings than my previously used flip-flops, aqua socks and trail runners.  I would say they grip at least as well as my hiking boots, but do not gain any additional weight as they are soaked with water.  Hiking in the Boulder Sandals certainly helps me save time.  While backpacking in Fish Lake National Forest I had to cross the creek well over twenty times and in some sections I found it easier to hike upstream in the sandals rather than pull myself up the trail only to head right back down to another crossing.  If I had been wearing hikers I would have had to stop, locate then change into my camp shoes countless times.  With the sandals I was able to walk from the trail directly into the water source with no delay at all. 

Hiking in the water also helps wash the dirt, small rocks or other trail debris that occasionally become lodged between my feet and the inside of the sandals while hiking on normal trails.  It does not always, however, remove the very fine particles of dirt (such as silt and clay) unless the water is flowing really fast.  Hiking over river rocks that are plastered with thick lichen is the only water environment where the sandals failed in providing excellent traction.  I put one foot on a rock covered with various fungi and the sandals slide off as if it were covered in ice.  To be fair, I have yet to find any footwear that does not slip in this fashion on similar surfaces except perhaps crampons.

The Boulder Sandals do allow for excellent breathability and are comparable to most open toe sandals I have worn.  The only place where I have experienced sweat accumulating is on the balls of my feet.  I have been unable to pinpoint why this happens on the balls of my feet and not my toes, heel or arch.  Part of it may be the fact that the insoles and footbed do not appear to absorb any moisture (even sweat) or wick it away.  Part of it may be ventilation.  My toes have plenty of wiggle room and there is room for my heels to lift up off the footbed when stepping.  Also the heel openings on the sandals are larger than the others openings.  The balls of my feet, on the other hand, are continuously in contact with the footbed.  Whatever the cause, the balls of my feet seem to end up sticking to the removable footbeds on hot sunny days. 

The toeguard is, without a doubt, my favorite feature of the Boulder Sandals.  On numerous occasions I have stumbled and hit the front of my foot against a rock or, in one instance, a fallen tree.  Stubbing my toes is normally followed by a strong, painful sensation in my feet and enough vulgarity to scare away all wildlife within a mile radius.  The toeguard prohibits me from doing this so the sandals have helped prevent pain and cut down on backcountry vulgarity.  The only issues I have with the toeguard is that it does not drain as well as the rest of the Boulder Sandals.  Debris, snow and water tend to accumulate in the toeguard and are not as quickly removed.  Snow and debris trapped in the toeguard usually have to be removed by hand, while draining the water only takes walking a few extra steps.  Even with this minor problem, I see the positives offered by toeguard far outweighing the negatives.

While hiking up or down steep terrain, the boulder sandals rub the back of my feet (at ankle height) raw.  It some cases it has rubbed them enough to cause minor bleeding.  This is certainly a nuisance I could do without.  It has never occurred while hiking in streams, creeks, on flat terrain or even rolling hills.  It appears to be solely limited to uphill and downhill hiking.  Wearing a protective barrier seems to help the problem.  After recovering from a minor sprained ankle, I elected to go hiking in the High Uintas.  I decided to wear an ankle brace as I was still uncertain about how well my ankle actually was.  My foot without a brace rubbed against the back of the sandals and developed the sore, while the one with a brace came out perfectly fine (and really filthy).  It should be noted that footwear fits different people differently and that my case with the rubbing may certainly not be the typical result. 

With the exception of the rubbing, the sandals have been very comfortable to wear.  They provide good support and I have had no problems maintaining balance in them while boulder hopping, stream crossing and hiking through mud.  The padded arch does an excellent job cushioning my feet when traversing rocking terrain and I have not developed any hotspots while hiking in them.  When I do not use them as my primary hiking footwear, they are about the best camp shoes I've ever had.  They allow my feet to cool down, but still provide me with enough support to stroll around the lake, fill up the canteens or hang the food bag.  Even when wet they are comfortable to hike in and they usually air dry in just a few hours.  Around town they are my preferred choice of footwear and I wear them almost everywhere I go.

My only other complaint about the sandals is that they leave my feet fully exposed to the elements.  This is not so much of a problem with the Boulder Sandals specifically as it is with hiking in sandals in general.  Dirt, pebbles and small twigs along the trail can all tag along by becoming trapped in the sandals.  For the most part these can be removed by wiggling my feet, but there are usually two or three instances every trip where I need to physically remove the sandals and clear out the debris by hand.  I also tend to spend more time looking at my feet while on the trail in order to avoid stepping in cow pies, brushing against low-lying vegetation and walking through loose gravel.  These are not too bad, but it is definitely not part of my typical hiking routine (as I rarely hike in anything other than boots).  Perhaps the worst, which I have trouble tolerating, is the vulnerability to insects.  Mosquitoes have no problem biting my feet since any DEET I put on usually all washes off after a stream crossing.  While resting ants also have a tendency to crawl in and annoy the crap out of me.  Socks seem provide some protection, but certainly do not solve the problem altogether. 

Testing Plan:

I will continue testing the sandals on my weekly hiking/backpacking trips.  The upper elevations are finally opening up which means I'm bound to see some extremely rocky terrain above tree line in the Uinta and Wasatch Mountains.  I still have a weeklong trip in Yellowstone National Park at the end of the month and when fall rolls around I will once again retreat to the desert.  I expect to hit Canyonlands National Park, Zion National Park and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument before the test period is over.  For the remainder of the test period I intend to keep examining the Boulder Sandals and hope to answer a few more questions about their characteristics in my long term report.

When the season changes and the temperatures drop I will continue to wear the sandals as long as frostbite is not a concern.  If I wear socks for warmth, will the sandals comfortably accommodate them?  Will wearing socks prevent the sore from developing while hiking up or down steep terrain?  If I’m wearing socks can the sandals be quickly and easily taken on and off through use of the drawstring closure? 

I still have my trip along the Escalante River coming up at will continue to evaluate the functionality of the Boulder Sandals as water shoes.  This trip involves spending a substantial amount time wading in the river itself.  Will the sandals “deep lug carbon rubber outsole” provide adequate traction while hiking in the river?  Are the comfort and support compromised in any way while in the river?  Do the toe guards adequately protect my toes from underwater debris?  Will the webbing provide decent support while submerged? 

The durability of the sandals will be a focus over the remaining testing period.  Will the removable footbed need to be replaced after prolonged use?  Will the arch brace or midsoles lose any of their support over the six-month test?  Will the webbing rip, tear or be damaged in any other way after seeing multiple miles on the trail?  Will odor build up quickly on the sandals and have them walking around on their own?  Will the traction wear down swiftly?  The cleaning instructions say the sandals can be tossed in the washing machine and air-dried.  Will this be enough to clean them and prevent fungus from growing on the sandals?  Will washing them discolor the sandals or cause deterioration in any way?  Can they be washed on the trail?

Summary:

The Keen Boulder Sandals provide comfortable and stable support for a variety of different terrain.  They offer a unique combination of breathability, good support and are very "water friendly".  Some of the features, such as the toeguard, are a genius idea and I am surprised other manufacturers are not picking up on this feature.  Their design needs to be upgraded so as to not rub the back of my feet, but again this may be me and not the sandals themselves.  Some sort of bug protection could also prove to be useful.

Things I like:

• Comfortable to wear
• Breathable
• Excellent water shoes
• Toeguard
• Supports my feet

Concerns:

• Rubs the back of my feet when tackling steep terrain
• Trail debris can enter and is not always easy to remove
• Bugs have easy access to my feet

I would like to thank Keen Footwear and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to participate in this test.