BackpackGearTest.org - Keen Newport Tom Van Rossum

After wearing them for a few hours I noticed the toe guard was lightly pressing down on my left big toe. This continued for a month until the shoe better conformed to my foot.

After wearing them for a day the insole became uncomfortable, rubbing my toes - the in-sole has a molded toe pattern that does not match mine. After two months this continues to me a minor comfort issue. A lack of arch support makes my feet tired after a day of standing or walking.

Comfort while walking around town is one thing; I was leery about how they would do on the trail with a backpack. I am glad to report that I wore them backpacking with packs up to 33 lbs (15 kg) and they were great! I typically wear hiking boots and have never even tried low top hiking shoes so this was quite a change for me. The lighter and cooler footwear was quite refreshing.

The elastic closure with cord lock creates a quick snug fit but it does stretch becoming unstable on rocky trails and in fast running streams.

The soles are advertised as non-marking and I have found this to be true, both in the kitchen and on the boat deck. On these smooth surfaces as well as stream beds the Newports provide excellent traction.

My feet are usually cold. I took these sandals out on my first spring hike but it was raining with a high temperature of 60 F (15 C), I could not bring myself to take off my nice warm boots and put them on. Thankfully this spring and summer have been unusually warm 70 - 100 F (21 - 38 C) so I wear them almost every day. The ventilation on warm days sure helps to keep my feet cool.

One of the aspects of the Newports that I appreciate most is their protection. The sole is firm, the nubuck leather uppers provide plenty of protection to my foot, and the sturdy toe guard has saved my toes many times.

On the trail, bits of dirt, twigs, and debris do get in under my foot. This is an intrinsic issue with all sandals. The significant coverage of the uppers limit the size and amount of grit that gets in but once it is there I had to just live with it or remove and empty the sandal.

These sandals are great for going in and out of water. They are just as comfortable wet as they are dry, no changing shoes when fording streams with these babies, just walk on through and keep truckin. When using them in a cold alpine lake I found that the cushioned insole actually acted as a wet suit and kept my feet warmer. The insoles and leather uppers do absorb water and take 12 to 24 hours to dry. The waterproof nubuck leather is in excellent condition after many cycles of wet and dry.

Do they smell? "Serdia _tm anti-microbial EVA footbed inhibits foot odor" is what they say on their web site (www.keenfootwear.com). I cannot vouch for the why but I do know that they don't smell too bad. After a hot day on my feet, yes they do smell, but by morning most of the odor is gone. Couple this with frequent stream crossings and odor is not an issue.

Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Keen Newport > Tom Van Rossum > Field Report