| General: I have
been using the Keen Taos almost exclusively since May and have found them
to be a very versatile, comfortable, stable shoe for all of my activities.
There are two minor issues I have had with the fit and performance of the
Taos, but these are not show stopping issues so the impact is negligible
Some additional findings relating to comments I made in
my Initial Report;
In my I.R., I said "I am
slightly skeptical about the ability of the bungee style elastic cord to
snugly hold the shoe around my foot over the course of several long trail
runs or a week of backpacking, but I'll let the proof be in the testing."
But my experience has been highly positive in regard to
the ability of the bungee to keep the shoes snuggly fit to my feet in all
environments. In fact, there have been a couple of instances where I
had the shoes too tight.
I also said "Two final notes about the fit of the Taos before I move
on to my testing plan; When I first wore the Taos I was slightly
disappointed that the strap that wraps around the heel doesn't provide more active adjustability in locking my heel into
the shoe*. This was easy enough to compensate for by kicking my heel
down firmly into the heel cup and then cinching the bungee tight to hold
my foot in place." and "Also, when I wore the Taos without socks one afternoon,
I got a small blister on the outside of my small toe. The stitching
is the culprit*. My
small toe hits a part of the shoe where the stitching holds the edge
covering in place. The slight movement of my toe across this
stitching rubbed the blister into life."
* The quotes above are from my Initial report and
included references to photos which illustrated the issues I refer to.
For the complete quote in context and to view the photos, please click on
the link see my
Keen Taos Initial Report.
In my subsequent months of testing since making these
two comments, I have not had any additional issues with either aspect of
the fit of the Taos. The heel cup provides sufficient fit and
support for all of my activities, and while I seldom wear the Taos without
socks, the times I have done so have been blister free.
Finally, the two issues I mentioned earlier in my
report. First, the Taos are fairly slow to dry. This has been
problematic if I am trail running or simply irritating if I am canoeing or
kayaking.
The other issue has been a bit of a surprise for me.
This issue started to come to light early enough in my testing for it to
be mentioned, or a symptom of the actual issue, in my Initial Report.
Despite having feet that measure to a size 10.5 (U.S.) I have discovered
that I can easily and comfortably wear a size 10 in the Taos. I
mentioned in my I.R. that I was disappointed that the heel strap did not
actually tighten the heel cup. This nagged at my attention from time
to time throughout my testing to date. A few weeks ago I
absent-mindedly tapped my toes down into the toe box of the shoes and
noticed the 1/2 inch gap between my heel and the back of the shoe.
This sparked an insight which eventually led me to try on a pair of Taos
in size 10 (U.S.) and I discovered that they fit comfortably. As an
adult, I've never been able to get my feet into a size 10 shoe so this
discovery came as quite a surprise to me as you might suspect. I did
not wear the size 10's long enough to be able to say that they were a
better fit than the size 10.5's and since I was completely happy with the
size 10.5's I didn't pursue any change.
As I sad at the beginning of this section, both the
drying time and the sizing are very minor issues. They are not
things I consider to be problems, but rather aspects of the shoes fit and
performance which I did not expect to be present.
In my Initial Report, I mentioned that I would be paying
attention to specific areas of the Taos during my testing. I have
listed those areas and my current findings in red below each point.
My focus for the testing process will be geared towards
two main focus areas; first is general use and second is technical
performance.
In both areas, I will be paying attention to the
following areas:
- how much wear is showing? (outsole, leather, bungee,
etc.)
Almost no wear is showing on the
Taos. They are holding up quite well.
- how is the removable footbed holding up to constant
use?
The footbed(s) are also holding up
quite well. I intend to write to Keen to inquire about the intended
life of the Taos footbeds.
- Is the stitching/ construction holding?
Again, quite well. No wear or
breakdown is showing.
In the general use area, I will be paying attention to
the following areas specifically:
Just the one on my small toe that I
mentioned in the I.R.
No issues here either.
The bungee straps on both shoes are
performing perfectly.
The Taos are fantastically
comfortable. I have been wearing them nearly 6 days a week and
continue to be pleased with their comfort.
No significant change since new so
the appearance of the Taos has not been an issue either.
In technical tasks, I will be paying attention to the
following areas specifically:
- when canoeing and kayaking, do the Taos shed water
adequately or do they absorb an excessive amount of water?
- when hiking/ running in wet conditions do the Taos
adequately release water from the interior of the shoe?
These points were not what I had
hoped they would be but as I mentioned in the previous section, have not
been what I consider a failure.
- When backpacking on rough conditions, is there enough
support provided by the bungee style closure system to provide a secure
fit?
The support the Taos provide is
exactly what I look for in a trail runner. I am completely
satisfied.
- does the blister causing seam affect my backpacking
even though I'm wearing socks?
As I mentioned above, no more
blisters. Not even when I've worn the Taos without socks.
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