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Field Report: Keen
Venice Sandals
Jennifer Koles
July 21, 2006
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Reviewer
Information
| Name: Jennifer
Koles |
| Age:
31 |
| Gender: Female |
| Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight: 140 lb (64 kg) |
| Email address: jennksnowy at yahoo dot com |
| City, State, and
Country: Salt Lake
City, Utah, United States |
Backpacking
Background
I started taking overnight backpacking trips last year in the
Uinta Mountain Range in Utah. I found myself taking entirely too much
gear. I am finding out slowly how to minimize my needs and not require extra
luxuries. My previous outdoor experiences consisted of 4-wheel-drive camping in
primitive areas and day hiking. I use a four season convertible tent or a three season
tent for my shelter. I plan to take more trips, increase my duration, and reduce
my two to three day pack weight (food and water included) from 26 lb (12
kg).
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Product
Information
The Keen Venice is a
waterproof performance sport sandal with an open strapping system.
Manufacturer: Keen
Footwear
Year of Manufacture:
2006
Manufacturer’s
Website: www.keenfootwear.com
Listed Weight: 11 oz
(312 g) This is the listed weight per sandal.
Weight as Delivered:
10.40 oz (women's size 8) (295 g) This is the weight of each
sandal.
MSRP:
$94.99 US currency (obtained from manufacturer via email)
Size Tested:
Women's 8
Color Tested: Mint
Dimensions: 10 1/4 in
x 4 3/8 in (26 cm x 11 cm)
Sizes and
Colors Available:
| Gender |
Size |
Color |
| Men's |
7-14 (1/2 sizes through size 12) |
Bison (brown), Black, Olive |
| Women's |
5-11 (1/2 sizes through size 11) |
Mint (green), Powder (light blue), Spectra (pink) |
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Tread on bottom of sandal
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Product
Description
Manufacturer Description
(obtained from the manufacturer website):
"Inspired by its sibling the Newport, the Venice takes the concept of a
performance sport sandal one step further. Providing exceptional
traction on mixed terrain, the Venice adds an open strapping system,
pairing outstanding ventilation with a streamlined outsole for a
lighter ride."
Specs:
- Upper: Waterproof Leather
- Lining: Hydrophobic SBR
- Rubber: Carbon Non Marking
Features:
- AEGIS Microbe Shield Treated SBR Lining
- Washable Waterproof Leather Upper
- V-Strap Forefoot Capture Design
On the care instructions included
with the shoes the manufacturer states that the shoes are machine
washable with a small amount of detergent on the gentle cycle.
On the inside of the sandals the care instructions state:
Washable Footwear
Cold Water Wash Separately
Gentle Cycle Liquid Or Dry Soap
Air Dry Only Do Not Bleach |
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Initial
Impression and My Product Description
Please see my Initial Report for the details of my initial impression and product description.
Field Usage
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Utah mountain ranges: This
item was primarily
tested in the
mountainous region of
northern Utah. Most elevation ranges in
the Utah Wasatch and
Uinta Mountain Ranges are between 9,000-10,000 ft (2,700-3,000 m). The average daytime
temperature in these
mountain ranges at 9,000 ft (2,700 m) during the summer months is 75 F
(24 C). The yearly average amount of snowfall is 500 in (13 m) in the Wasatch
Mountain
Range. I used the Keen Venice on many short day hikes in this geographic location.
Salt Lake City, Utah elevation of 4,322 ft (1,317 m): The sandals have
been worn almost daily in this geographic area. The primary use of the
sandals in this area was to run errands, walking a dog, and riding a
bicycle a short distance. Over the course of the test period the Keen
Venice Sandals have been exposed to dry conditions, rain, and hail. The
daytime temperatures have reached over 100 F (38 C).
Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah: The elevation in this area is
10,600 ft (3,231 m). The temperatures during the day were 58 F-65 F (14
C-18 C). The nighttime temperature was in the upper 30's F(-1 C). The
weather was sunny with no precipitation. The sandals were worn for 7 mi
(11 km) on this trip.
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Crossing a stream on a log at Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming: The sandals were used on a two day
backpacking trip for a distance of 5 mi (8 km). The daytime temperature
was 65 F (18 C). During this trip the weather was rainy, sunny, and
cloudy. The starting elevation at the trailhead was 7,700 ft (2,347 m)
and the ending elevation was 8,100 ft (2,469 m). The sandals were also
worn in the park on short day hikes during this trip.
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Testing Performance
Fit:
Is the bungee
pull cord able to be tightened
enough to offer needed support and prevent the sandal from
sliding?
Does the pull cord work its way loose
while
wearing the sandals?
Is there any
pressure areas noted? If I get pressure areas or blisters I will
determine if
socks can relieve this. |
The bungee cord could be fastened
snug to offer support. The sandals did not slide on my feet when
the bungee cord was tightened. I did not notice the pull cord
working loose while wearing the sandals. The heel straps of the
sandals did give me blisters and hot spots on my heels when hiking with
a daypack and a 20 lb (9 kg) backpack. The blisters began to develop
with an elevation gain greater than 300 ft (91 m) and within a 2 mi
(3.2 km) duration. There are no other pressure areas noted while
wearing the sandals. |
| Comfort: Does sand, dirt, rocks,
and miscellaneous
debris become stuck in the toecap area? When the sandals become wet in
the
field are they comfortable enough to remain on my feet? How long can I wear them wet? Do I get blisters on the heel strap (test wet
and dry)? If worn
wet does the toe
footbed area dry or remain wet after the tested normal drying time? Do
I
experience any foot pain? Is
my arch
supported (I usually wear an arch support in my casual shoes) without
wearing
my orthotics? When I bump the toecap of the sandal on a rock do I stub
my toes? Are all my toes protected by the toecap? Are there any pressure areas
from the
anchored side straps? |
The sandals have an
overall comfortable fit. There are no noted pressure areas from the
anchored side straps. Sand, dirt, rocks, twigs, and other forms of
debris do get stuck in the toecap area and under the ball of my foot.
Sometimes I am able to dislodge the debris from the sandal while
shaking my foot. Other times I have to completely remove the sandal to
take care of the debris issue. This can be a nuisance on the trail. I
have worn the sandals wet for approximately three hours. During stream
crossings the sandals do not completely wet out and they are able to
dry on my feet in a few hours. The footbed does stay wet for a longer
period of time if the sandals dry on my feet rather than if they are
completely exposed to the air. I have not experienced foot pain while
wearing the sandals. There feels to be adequate arch support with no
pain noted. The toe cap is my favorite
component of the sandals. I have bumped my toes hard on rocks, tree
stumps, shopping carts, thresholds, etc. and I could not feel a thing.
All my toes are protected by the toecap. |
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Wear: Does the
rubber wear out quickly in the heel area and on the toecap? Is the rubber
durable (do stones and sticks become lodged in the rubber (poke in and get
stuck))? Does the rubber crack? Does the pull cord or the plastic piece used for
cinching break? Does the pull cord become frayed with use? Does the stitching
become undone? Do the anchored side straps break? Does the toecap
easily wear or pull away from the leather?
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There are no signs of rubber wear or cracking on the toecap
or on the heel of the sole. No stones or sticks got lodged in the
rubber. However, goat head thorns got stuck in the rubber. The pull cord and
cord lock have not broken and there is no fraying on the pull cord.
Some of the stitching is slightly frayed on the anchored side straps.
None of the straps have broken. The toecap is intact with no separation
from the leather noted. |
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Care: The
manufacturer indicates that these shoes are machine washable. I
will evaluate if there is any cracking, shrinking, or stretching after
washing. I will also evaluate if the footbed and the leather is
still soft and comfortable to my foot and or touch after washing. Is spot
cleaning effective on these shoes with a mild detergent? How long does it take
them to dry? Can they dry overnight? If I dry them in the sun does
the leather and the footbed become rough (like dried leather)?
|
The sandals have been washed approximately 10 times since
my Initial Report. There was no leather cracking, shrinking, or
stretching after washing. The leather straps and the footbed still have
a soft feel to the touch. I was able to spot clean the footbed
successfully to remove some tree sap. The sandals dry in direct sun
light in approximately 3 1/2 hours. They do dry overnight in the dark.
The leather and the footbed are not rough from drying them in the sun. |
| Traction: Do the sandals provide
adequate traction on
various surfaces (wet rocks, dry rocks, stones, gravel, mud, sand,
slick rock
(sand stone), grass, dirt, logs)? –I will test each
individually. How
do they perform while scrambling to rock
climbing areas on various types of rock (limestone, quartzite,
sandstone,
granite)? Can I
scramble these rocks in
the sandals without the need to don my climbing shoes? Do they provide
traction while white water rafting on the raft surface, wet rocks and
the river
bottom? |
The sandals have fair to
good traction on dry rocks, grass, logs, mud, and sand. The
traction was not sufficient on gravel and on loose dirt. I lost
traction on loose dirt and gravel/pebbles frequently. I need to further
assess the performance of the sandals while scrambling rocks and while
white water rafting. The sandals provide better traction in the water
and on wet surfaces than on dry land. They have optimal
performance during stream crossings, on wet rocks, and on the
river/stream bottom. |
| Miscellaneous: Is
the rubber non-marking? Does the Microbe
Shield prevent odor (especially when hiking in the desert in over 100 F
(38 C)) and staining on the footbed? What is the largest pack
load I can
carry while wearing these sandals and have adequate foot support that
there is
not discomfort noted? Does the toecap prevent me from catching
(tripping) my
toes while walking (sometimes with regular sandals the
front of
the footbed can curl under and trip me)? Are they stylish to wear
around town? |
The rubber is
non-marking
when I scuffed the floor while wearing these sandals. I tested this on
white ceramic tile. There is no noted staining on the footbed from
perspiration on the sandals. I am uncertain how well the Microbe Shield
prevents odor. These sandals stink to put it mildly. They have been
washed several times and there is no odor noted after they are washed.
However, if I wear them one time they begin to develop an odor. My feet
do not have an odor in my other footwear and I do not have an issue
with foot odor in my other sandals. I carried a 20 lb (9 kg) backpack
while wearing these sandals and I was able to adequately carry the
weight. I find that the soles are thin and I can feel small rocks and
twigs while hiking and backpacking regardless of my pack weight. I do
not find myself tripping in these shoes. I have worn these
sandals almost daily around town and they do coordinate well with some
of my clothing. |
Things
I Like:
Things I Do Not Like:
- I get blisters and hot spots where the heel strap touches my foot. This occurs when hiking with
these sandals.
- The odor from the sandals
- Dirt and rocks become lodged in the toecap area of the inside of the sandals
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Wearing the sandals crossing a stream
Blister from heel strap
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Continued Testing
For the remaining two months of testing these sandals I will
further evaluate if I continue to get blisters where the heel straps
comes into contact with the foot. This will be assessed while
backpacking and day hiking. I will evaluate the performance of the
sandals during rafting and scrambling rocks. I will continue
to test the durability of
the sandals (stitching, sole, bungee cord, cord lock). I will also
determine if I can eliminate or suppress the odor that is emitted from
the sandals.
Remarks
Thank you Keen
Footwear and Backpack
Gear Test for providing me with the opportunity to test the
Keen Venice.
Read more reviews of Keen gear
Read more gear reviews by Jennifer Estrella
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