Name: Jennifer Joy
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4" (1.63 m)
Weight: 145 lb (68 kg)
Email address: jjoy AT io DOT com
Location: Austin, Texas
Date: November 10, 2005

Backpacking Background

I have been camping and hiking since I was a small child. I used to not be very weight conscious, but I am actively working to move towards lightweight backpacking and plan to replace much of my gear in an effort to help an extreme tendency for tendonitis. My backpacking trips tend to be over a weekend or day hikes within a multi-day kayaking trip. Multi-week hiking is a long-term goal. I could be considered an intermediate backpacker but an experienced camper.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Keen
Year of manufacture: 2005
Website: http://www.keenfootwear.com/

Listed weight (one shoe): 11.0 oz (312 g)

Weight as tested (one shoe): 11.3 oz (320 g)

Shoe alone: 10.6 oz (301 g)

Insole: 0.7 oz (20 g)
MSRP: $99.95 US
Material: Upper is waterproof leather, webbing and mesh

Color: Fuzz/Loden (tan with spruce green accents)

My shoe size: 8 (U.S.)

Shoe size requested: 8 (U.S.)

Notes on fit:

According to the website, these shoes might run a bit large, but I did not find this to be true in my case.

Product Description

The Keen Taos lies somewhere between a shoe and a sandal. I find it to be more shoe than sandal. If the open holes with mesh you'd have a fully enclosed shoe. The secure shoe-like heel cup is also very non-sandal like. The women's shoe is built on a B width last (the men's sandal is built on a D last). The shoe has a beige leather upper that is very soft. The straps are somewhat stretchy and what appeared to be stitching along the beige stripe on the straps is reflective. The straps are connected with a thin bungee-like lace system. A small plastic toggle is used to snug the laces. The tongue is made of a padded mesh material. A thickly lugged, semi-stiff sole wraps around to the front of the shoe providing a very hard toe covering. The footbed is treated with AEGIS Microbe Shield (TM) which is supposed to protect against odor, staining and deterioration. The entire shoe is machine washable. For a much more extensive description and pictures of the shoes please see my Initial Report.

Field Test -- Final Impressions

General Information:

My Field Report covered the first two months and specific trip use is detailed there. This report covers impressions gathered over the entire six month test cycle, including four months of observations since the Field Report was issued. I estimate I have worn the shoes for approximately 80 days of use that spanned hiking, kayaking, gym use, trips around town and even sailing. For all but two of those days I used my custom 3/4 length orthotics which ends just past the balls of my feet.

Long Term Use:

Fit/comfort:

I have found the fit of the shoe to be extremely comfortable. The bungee cord lace system proved to have a secure toggle at all times and the system of webbing and the cord encased my foot securely. If it was too tight it was easy to loosen, or if too loose, easy to tighten. It could be loosened and tightened with the tip of the lacing system remaining tucked under at the end of the laces, which keeps the end plastic piece from flopping around. I found that the cord had stretched out some over time but that did not impact its function. I liked not having to ever have to retie laces or have them loosen up. Over time I would pull on the lace pull unevenly and the cord past the toggle would start to curve (always to the left). The bungee can be repositioned by rotating the cord around as one would do with uneven shoelaces. The toebox is roomy. The substantial toe guard protected my toes. I loved being able to wear my orthotics into the water and back out again, with good support at all times. That was a major feature for me. I wore this shoe equally well with and without socks although for long hikes I preferred socks. I found these shoes were great in the gym because I didn't have to remember to bring my socks and they gripped well on all the equipment.

Where the shoes really seem to have a design flaw, in my opinion, is that the rather small ventilation holes along the side could have been covered with mesh that would have retained all the good qualities previously mentioned, but have kept out the sand and pebbles that always got in my shoes. That is why I preferred hikes in socks because they helped fill in the holes and cushioned more around small debris. I tried a short walk of 30 feet (9 m) in shallow water as I moved my sailboat to the dock and my shoes rapidly filled with sand and I had to stop and shake them out. At least on hikes it would take a while (except the infamous sand dune hike I mention in my Field Report) for the shoes to become unbearably full of little bits of debris. Perhaps I should add that I have narrow feet, but I am not sure that would make a huge difference.

Materials:

The shoe has proven to be exceptionally durable with one notable exception. There are no noticeable signs of wear on the sole and the rest of the upper material of the shoe is less worn than I would have expected. There is some discoloration from dirt and mud, some creases and wear marks beneath the bungee lace system but no fraying or tears can be seen. The problem area I experienced is also described in the Field Report and it has not significantly worsened since that time. Since I have a 3/4 length orthotic the thin liner material on the footbed was exposed at my toes. Subjected to sand and water, especially sand that got in through the seams and filled up the toebox area beneath the liner, the liner has torn away from the end of the shoe. It is a little lumpy but once the sand worked its way out it did not chafe or give me blisters. A thin liner beneath the orthotic might have been a proctective measure and it is an idea I will try the next time.

The shoes take 12 - 24 hours to dry, but that was not a problem for me as they did not retain water or get heavy and remained comfortable. I had these shoes in some water environments that have always given my shoes a bad smell. These only had a faint odor when wet, but they were fine when dry. The AEGIS Microbe Shield (TM) really worked.

The shoes went through the washing machine a couple of times just fine, but ground in dirt held fast. The dirt is not unsightly; instead it gives a darkened weathered look, like a well-loved hiking boot.

Conclusions

The shoes are well-made and function well as both a daily shoe and as a light hiking shoe. It is a wonderful shoe for kayaking and I found it to be less constrictive and more supportive than my other kayaking footwear. It provided a supportive footbed in all activities and the ability to put in a custom orthotic is a great feature. I expect to be wearing this shoe for many more days in the future.

Summary

Likes:

Good fit and easy to remove and put back on
Orthotic support in a sandal-like shoe
Looks nice enough to wear into town

Concerns:

Hot feet in 90+ F / 32+ C degree weather
Sand getting stuck in the base inner shoe material
Wearing of the shoe's inner sole liner material
Side ventilation holes let the rocks in but they don't come out on their own

A final note

Thank you to BackpackGearTest and Keen Footwear for the opportunity to test the Keen Taos.

Read more reviews of Keen gear
Read more gear reviews by Jennifer Joy

Long Term Report