SPECIFICATIONS

The Keen Newports are manufactured by Keen Footwear

Web: http://www.keenfootwear.com

Year of Manufacture: 2004
MSRP: U.S. $90.00

LISTED WEIGHT:   13.9 oz (397 g)
LISTED SIZE:          Varies.  Available in men's sizes 7-14 (half sizes thru 12).

TESTED SIZE:         My shoe size is 10 1/2 EEEE.  I ordered a size 10 1/2, and they fit perfectly.
TESTED WEIGHT:  Left: 14.28 oz (405 g) Right: 14.46 oz (410 g) Pair: 28.74 oz (815 g)

FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS AS LISTED ON THE WEBSITE:

(This tester's comments in red.  Some of these features are described in various sections of this report.)

"The Newport is the foundation of the Keen footwear line.  Designed to perform in the adverse conditions of a marine environment, the razor-siped outsold and 3mm lugs provide excellent traction both on land and on the slick surfaces of boat decks or river rocks.  A true hybrid, the waterproof nubuck upper withstands the abuse of saltwater and dirt, while providing supple comfort and a stylish look.

• Built on Keen's unique anatomical last for a perfect fit right out of the box.  They do fit nicely.

• Non-marking outsole rubber compound provides superior coefficient of friction for all environments.  We'll see how they do in swamp mud.

• Razor-siped pods on outsole provide increased surface area for greater traction on smooth surfaces.  Detailed description and photos below.

• Compression-molded EVA midsole is contoured for superior comfort and support of the foot structure. 

• Elastic closure with Cord Lock creates a quick, snug fit while allowing flexibility.  It does.

• Waterproof nubuck leather upper wraps around the foot for stability, allowing generous ventilation.

• 3M(tm) Reflective pull-tabs provide added visibility during nighttime adventures.

• Patent-pending toe guard so you can worry about the activity, not your toes.

• Serdia (tm) anti-microbial EVA footbed inhibits foot odor and controls moisture.

• Specs:

  Outsole - Carbon Rubber (55a shore hardness)
  Midsole - EVA (50c shore hardness)
  Topsole - EVA and micro-suede (35c shore hardness)
  Upper - Waterproof Nubuck
  Weight - Men's 13.9 oz or 397 g
  Sizing - Men's 7-14 (half sizes thru 12)
  Colors: charcoal, black, ink blue  Color Tested: Black

The Keen Footwear website  is flash driven, which makes it a little slow on dialup connections.  The site is informative and easy to navigate.  The site provides images and detailed product information.  No online store is provided, but links to online retailers are provided.  The website is top-notch.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

PACKAGING & PACKAGE CONTENTS

The Keen arrived in good order in a box via UPS ground.  Inside the box were the Newports, which were inside a shoebox as pictured above.  No instructions were provided.  No assembly was required.  A Serdia information tag was attached to one of the Newports.

The Keen Newports were exactly what I expected after visiting the website.  Having visited the website a number of times, my reaction to the Newports was also what I expected.  Is it a shoe with a lot of ventilation?  Is it a sandal?  What do I call it?  Shandal?  Shodal?  Didn't Ray Jardine describe something like this in that book of his?  

OVERVIEW OF MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION, AND FEATURES

TRYING IT OUT

I have size 10 1/2 EEEE feet, and I was unsure if the 10 1/2 Newports would provide enough width.  Taking them out of the box, they looked quite wide, and slipping them on proved that they are a perfect fit.

The Keen Newports are billed as 'hybrid footwear', and they are the obvious product of crossbreeding athletic shoes with sandals to create a creature that has characteristics of both.  This isn't a new idea, really.  I was making my own ghillies for fencing a few years ago.  Ghillies are a rather old concept, but the Keen uses some of the principles of Ghillies very effectively in a modern shoe.  Independent straps surround, protect, and support the foot, but allow total flexibility.  

The Keen Newports have no laces in the traditional sense.  The laces have been replaced with an elastic cord that cinches with a cordlock, as pictured left.  The cordlock end tucks under the elastic 'laces' and so they don't flap around when you're walking.  This is very clever, and it's even more clever because the elastic cord can be replaced if needed.  The end fob pries apart and new cord can be laced through and reclipped in the fob.  It would even be possible to remove the elastic cord and use laces if the wearer so desired.  I know that some people with think I'm silly, but the Keen Newports are very well thought out.  The finger loop at the back, for instance, is actually big enough <gasp!> to slip my finger through.  (See picture below.)  Usually these tabs are way too small to be useful.  

Unlike a traditional sandal, the toes are totally enclosed by a sturdy toe box.  Trying to stub my toes on the concrete steps proved fruitless.  Wearing the Keen Newports is more like wearing an athletic shoe than wearing sandals - but with nearly the ventilation as a traditional sandal.  Hybrid footwear indeed.  

I have walked around in the Newports quite a bit already, and they are perfect in almost every way.  I used them during a five hour martial arts instruction including close-quarter combat and firearms drills and they were very stable.  Every bit as stable as my hiking boots, actually.  I have one minor complaint and one major complaint so far.  One, there isn't much arch support.  Before I describe my second complaint, I should provide the fact that my feet are normal in every way, with the exception of being a little wide.  I go barefoot a lot, and my toes spread out nicely like good feet should.  The Newports provide ample room for my toes, and I am very pleased in this regard.  Unfortunately, the biometrics of the footbed are very wrong for me.  I am unable to remove the footbeds, so I wasn't able to document this in pictures.  I'll have to print my foot and document this for the field report.  

Essentially, the metatarsal ridges are too far forward.  Rather than striking between the toe pads and the metatarsal pad, they strike me right through the middle of my toe pads.  Even kicking my toes all the way forward into the toe box, the metatarsal pad still doesn't strike far enough back on the toes to be comfortable.  It would be impossible to wear the Newports in this manner anyway.  Frankly, I'd rather not have the metatarsal ridges at all.  Positioned as they are under my toes, they're driving me nuts.  It always feels like there's something in the shoe, or like the insole is wrinkled - which it isn't.  Even wearing heavy socks doesn't alleviate this problem, and unnatural stress is created in my feet because of this issue.  I took a trip to a local outfitter and tried smaller sizes, thinking that I had a fit issue.  Smaller sizes were too narrow, and the metatarsal ridges still struck me in the wrong place.  I understand that not all feet are the same, so I recruited four friends with various foot shapes who all wear 10 1/2 size shoes, and had them try the Newports.  They all liked them very much, but noted that the metatarsal ridges were in the wrong place for them as well.  On my two mile daily walks, the Newports become progressively less comfortable.  For lack of a better way to express it, my feet become frustrated.  "There's something wrong, you idiot.  Fix it!"  I can't fix it, though, because I can't remove the footbed.  In the end, I already wish that the metatarsal ridges weren't there at all.  I have already been heard to proclaim, "Who shall rid me of these turbulent metatarsal ridges!?"  My neighbors, at least, are used to my eccentricities...

TESTING STRATEGY

I will wear the Keen Newports at every opportunity.  I have already worn them a few times on my daily walks.  I have several hikes during the test period in various terrain, and at least one canoe trip planned.  I will be especially keen (no pun intended) on how the Newports do in wet and muddy conditions, and if they will be valuable in the heat and humidity of the Deep Gulf South.  I'll probably drag them around in the swamp some, take a few trips to the beach, and see how well they hold up on the rock wall.  I will wear them with and without socks, and try them with the Rocky Gore-Tex Oversocks.  

SUMMARY

THINGS I LIKE

1.  Guaranteed waterproof.  
2.  Good fit once I got the right size.
3.  Quality construction.

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

1.  Seam at Achilles tendon.
2.  Metatarsal bar in the wrong place.
3.  Little arch support.

***

Thank you for your time.

Shane Steinkamp
shane@theplacewithnoname.com
www.theplacewithnoname.com/hiking