Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Keen Boulder > Stephanie Martin > Initial Report

Initial Report: Keen Boulder Hybrid Footwear

Field and Test Information:
Location(s) of test:	Various locations in and around Phoenix, Arizona
Terrain:	Initial testing of the sandals have been limited to 'around town' use - in and around the Urban Jungle.  The sandals have not yet been off pavement as I need to escape to higher elevations for more tolerable temperatures.
Weather Conditions:	Outside temperatures in the mid 70s F (low 20s C) at night and mid 90s F (low 30s C) during the day, inside temps vary depending on central air settings

Contents

- Product arrival

- Words on the Web

- Commentary about my feet and footwear

- Product features and construction

- Initial impressions

- Comments on fit and comfort

- Test strategy

They're here!
My first pair of Keen Boulders arrived only to have to be popped back to Keen due to an error in sizing.  After obtaining a RA number from Keen Customer service, the shoes were sent back.  As soon as the RA was processed by Keen, my replacement shoes shipped and are now in hand.  The Keens are delivered in a standard shoebox with a black lid sporting the Keen logo.  Inside, amongst the Keen emblazoned wrapping tissue were my Boulders (happily stuffed full of paper to help retain their shape) along with a small pamphlet highlighting the Keen Spring 2005 lineup.  The pamphlet breaks down the shoes by category, has a nice thumbnail of the shoe along with the availible color schemes nicely depicted.  The Boulders appear under the "trailhead" category along with the Taos, Banff, Newport, Newport H2 and HoodRiver shoes. No other hangtags or care instructions were included
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Words on the Web
The Keen Footwear website is nicely designed and easy to navigate.  Each product page has a nice side-shot of the shoe along with color scheme roll-overs that change the image to match the selected color so the consumer can get see each available color scheme for themselves rather than having to imagine what the colors may look like in execution based on small thumbnails.  I personally really liked that feature of the website.  In addition, each product page has a quick description of the features and benefits of each shoe in addition to product specs such as weight, type of lining, midsole and outsole.  While most of the information presented in the product specifications is intuitive, some are not - for example, the codes used for the Outsole, Midsole and Sockliner.  On the Boulders, these are listed as 55a, 55c / 50c, and 35c respectively, but I cannot decode these magical numbers in any way.  Because Keen is only a wholesaler, they do not sell direct to consumers, however they do provide a handy list of online retailers where their shoes are available.
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A brief commentary on my feet and footwear:
I will admit that I am a somewhat recent convert to wearing sandals for hiking, backpacking, and even canyoning activities, thanks entirely to my participation with BackpackGearTest. Prior to being involved with a sandal test series, I was very leery of hiking in sandals because I typically found issues with the following: 1) foot slippage - my foot would not hold stable inside the sandal bed, resulting in my toes overhanging the front, or sliding to either side of the sandal while negotiating non-level terrain, 2) frequent stopping to remove extraneous matter from between my foot and the footbed (such as pebbles or gravel), 3) comfort of fit - I found I had to really crank down on my sandal straps to keep my feet somewhat in place, 4) reliability of closure system - I've found issue with many Velcro sandal closing systems, resulting in the need to somewhat frequently replace the Velcro to continue use of the sandals, and 5) foot funk - It seemed with certain sandals (and shoes for that matter) that after long bouts of activity, the shoes would eventually develop a rather odd odor that no amount of washing could get rid of.

While I have found some sandals that work admirably well in most cases, I have yet to find perfect footwear that is as all-terrain as I am.  My interest in this test - was piqued by the opportunity to test a pair of hybrid footwear that is designed to accommodate orthotic inserts, while still providing excellent amphibious trail performance.  My shoes need to be able to perform on trail and off, on all sorts of terrain - from packed dirt, to grassy slopes, to loose scree, to water polished slickrock - and I hope the Keen Boulders are up to the challenge.

And now a brief diversion: On orthotic inserts - I have worn orthotic inserts in my footwear for the past eight years - my inserts are hard plastic "sports" inserts to counteract my over pronation issues. They are bare plastic, as I have the tendency to submerge my footwear often while wading streams and jumping in potholes while canyoning. I have two sets of orthotics - one of which has a "heel stabilization" and the other of which is left rounded with no stabilization around the heel cup. Both sets are 3/4 length inserts with no additional coverings. I plan to test the Keen Boulders with both types of inserts to determine if there is a difference in the sandals ability to function with either set. I will also test these shoes with Superfeet Hiker Inserts (as I have found the Superfeet inserts to work well in my hiking boots if I can't bring my custom orthotics for fear of cooking them (they deform if left exposed in a really hot car)), and perhaps some Shock Doctor Ultra2 footbeds (not pictured).

Heel Stabilized 3/4 length Custom Sports Orthotic	Non-Stabilized 3/4 length Custom Orthotic	Superfeet Full Length Insert

As a fan of the Keen Newport H2, I was very happy to see Keen come up with a design that accomodates the use of custom orthotics.  While I do like my Newport H2s fine, they do have their limitations - the lack of ability to use them with orthotics is one major limitation for my ability to use them on long trail hikes.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the Boulders handle my hiking and and exploring style. Because I have a low volume foot,  I will be very curious to see how well the "fingers" and "elastic lacing system" of the Keen Boulders will work for a woman who has notoriously hard to fit feet (notorious because every boot I own is either worn with my custom orthotic inserts or a Superfeet insert inside to take up the additional 'space' for my low volume foot - various Superfeet reviews are also available at BackpackGearTest.org). While my feet are not narrow, I do seem to have to add inserts to all of my hiking boots/shoes to get a good fit. I really appreciate the way my Newport H2 sandals fit because the toe area is wider than that of other womens sandals I've tried - and while keen builds all their womens shoes on a B width last, the Newports are distinctly wider than then the Boulders - so seeing if my toes miss all that wiggle room will be interesting.  On measurement (using a Brannock Device), I am an 'official' US Womens size 8.5, however all of my sandals are a US Womens size 9 and the Keen Boulders are no exception.  Alright, enough about my feet...on with the review!
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Features and Construction
Keen has designed these shoes for people who like to play on all kinds of terrain.  The Boulder should be good for those who are looking for "running shoe comfort and sandal-breath ability, it is at home in the water as well as on the trail."  These shoes appear to be rugged, cool (in more than just the fashion sense) footwear with good traction, foot protection, and excellent support.  Like all of Keens' footwear, these also sport their patented Toe Guard to prevent toe-stubbing incidents with rocks and other inanimate objects along the trail.  The uppers consist of wide teeth or finger-like sections that wrap around my foot and are held together with an elastic shock cord (cleverly color coordinated with the uppers) that can be tensioned easily with a quick-release toggle.  Made of  waterpoof synthetic leather, bound with brightly colored webbing with reflective threads and lined with an anti-microbial  synthetic fabric (similar to neoprene) for added comfort and hot spot prevention, the uppers should be kind to my feet and my nose after all kinds of trail use.  In case you are wondering, the anti-microbial protection comes by way of ÆGIS Microbe Shield.  The ÆGIS Microbe Shield treatment is actually bonded to the fabric and should not wear out even with extended use - and it should protect my Boulders from "odor, staining, and deterioration caused by bacteria, fungus and other microorganisms."  For traction, the Keen Boulders sport a "non-marking, deep lug carbon rubber outsole" for "excellent traction in loose dirt, scree or rock."  Well, I don't know about the latter, and I certainly appreciate non-marking soles especially when I'm climbing - but the lugs certainly are deep - nearly a quarter of an inch (6 mm) deep on the most aggressive portions.  The Boulders  come with a metatomical removable EVA footbed installed.  These footbeds are perhaps a third of an inch (8 mm) in thickness under the heel, tapering down to about a quarter-inch (5 mm) thickness at the ball of the foot.  The footbeds are grey in color and match the outsole of the Boulders quite nicely.  They are made of EVA, and do not have any special finish on top - according to Keen, they should not absorb any water when my trails give way to stream crossings - but by the same token, they won't absorb any sweat during a hard workout.  The metatomical footbed is anatomically contoured to follow the  natural curves of the foot.  Because the footbed is molded to provide support, it does need to be removed in order to use the shoes with custom orthotics - sadly Keen does not provide replacement flat insoles should the consumer decide to pursue this option.

Care instructions, as provided on the website, are to throw the Keens in the washing machine with a little bit of detergent and wash on gentle.  Pop 'em out post wash and air dry and they should be as good as new.
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Initial Impressions
On initial impression, Keen has designed and delivered a rugged hybrid shoe that adapts well for a custom fit.  The shoes are well made, with clean stitching all the way around.  The tread looks to be fairly aggressive, with the deep lugs that certainly look like they will take to a variety of terrain quite readily.  I was a little surprised when taking them out of the box, as they were noticeably narrower than my Keen Newport H2s - I'm not certain why this is, as Keen mentions on their site that all of their womens shoes are built on a B width last.  I am guessing that they are shaped this way to accommodate the use of off-the-shelf inserts more readily.  I'll also admit that these shoes are more rigid in the upper than I had anticipated - I had expected something more sandal-like and soft, but the synthetic leather of the uppers is quite stiff - I'm curious to find if it will relax over time. At first glance the Citron colored webbing seemed a bit bright, but hey, lime is all the rage for this spring (or so I've heard), and the color has really grown on me.  Overall, these shoes have a casual rugged appeal to them and I'm looking forward to their testing and seeing how they perform on and off the trail.
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Comments on Fit and Comfort
While the Boulders fit my feet properly, I'm certain I will undergo an adjustment period to the narrower toebox of the shoes.  Even after only having them on for a day or two of brief evaluation, I find myself missing the wiggle room found in my Newports.  In addition, I have found that the design of the heel cup and rear portion of the shoe, combined with the rigid upper material causes some irritation on my Achilles Tendon.  Until my feet are more accustomed to these shoes, I will have to resort to wearing them with socks - so much for my awesome tan line!  Other than those two aspects, the shoes are quite comfortable and bouncy to walk in.  They have been easy to adjust, adapting fine to my low volume foot for simple around town wear.  My feet stay put and do not slide forward or backwards or side to side inside the footbed.  I will have to save my Orthotic comments for later as I do not currently have any flat inserts on hand.  Donning and doffing the sandals is an easy affair - because the shoe is closed with an elastic shock cord, I've found I don't have to adjust it at all to get the shoe on or off - I simply stick my fingers in the conveniently placed webbing loops on the shoe and pull.
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Test Strategy
I plan on wearing my Keen Boulders everywhere.  If my previous test series are any indication, these shoes will see a *lot* of wear.  They'll be on my feet just about every day during the test period and will see the inside of multitudes of canyons during the six month test duration.

Some key features I plan to test include the security of the quick release drawstring closures, the non-marking Deep Lug Carbon Rubber outsole, the toeguard, the anti-microbial treatment and the function of the sandals with various inserts.

My main concerns for the quick release drawstring closures are their ability to hold my feet securely in place while on uneven terrain.  While foot slippage inside my shoe while descending hills is just a nuisance (due to my toes getting mashed into the front of the toe box), slippage while bouldering or boulder hopping could result in injury so the performance of the closures will be of high importance.

With regards to the tread, I will be wearing the sandals on varying surface types - from carpets, tile and concrete of corporate America to sand, dirt and slickrock of the desert southwest.  The shoes will be in and out of creeks and potholes, and will tread over water-polished boulders while creek-hopping.  In addition to evaluating traction on various terrain, I will check the wear of the lugs over time.

On the Toeguard, I will evaluate whether it is effective at protecting my damage-prone toes, as well as evaluate how well the shoes, in general, manage to keep stuff out of the footbed.  In case random bits do get in, I'll be checking how easily the stuff is removed should it attempt to hitchhike in my footwear.

With regards to the metatomical footbeds, I will evaluate how easy it is to remove and replace them, in addition to whether they sit securely inside the shoe. I'll also evaluate their durability, comfort and potential for water absorption.  It goes without saying that the Boulders will be tested with both pairs of custom (prescription) orthotic inserts - evaluating the Boulders for how well they accommodate these devices.  I will also evaluate the sandals with off-the shelf inserts such as Superfeet or ShockDoctor inserts.

Additional things I will be looking for are: durability, breathability (do they accumulate sweat and get slippery inside? Do they get stinky?), surface wear, performance on varied terrain, fit, style and comfort. 
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My thanks to Keen Footwear and BackpackGearTest.org for this testing opportunity - I look forward to my further adventures with these shoes.

Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Keen Boulder > Stephanie Martin > Initial Report