Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Keen Venice > Kathryn Doiron > Field Report

Keen Venice Sandals - Field Report

Product Information:

The Keen Venice sandals have been hitting the trails with me for the past two months. I have also been taking them to work almost every day and they have been on all my kayaking trips. It took me about two weeks to get fully used to wearing the sandals. Before that time, I did have some chaffing along the back of my heel especially when the sandals where wet. After that point, I have not experienced any major chaffing, blisters or sore spots. At this point, the sandals do rub a little when wet but it is not painful and may be a sizing issue. I have found it is difficult to buy shoes or sandals that fit properly as they are either a little too big or a little too small. In this case, I think the sandals might be a little too big for everyday wear but for trail wear I think they are a good fit. My past experience with long term sandal usage has been dry heels, sometimes to the painfully cracked stage and odd tan lines. These sandals have been no exception. My heels are dry but they have not cracked as I have been putting foot balm on as a preventative measure.

The Keen Venice sandals perform well when dry but I have also been testing how well they perform when wet and what the drying time is. I have noticed that when the sandals are soaked, as in when I step into a deep puddle or wade into a river, the sole of the sandal is very slippery. At this point, I find I have to watch my steps much more carefully as my feet slide around in the sandals a little too much for comfort. After about 2-5 minutes, the sole is much less slippery and I don't have to be quite so watchful. When I am in full hiking mode, setting a pace of about 2-3 mph (3.2 - 4.8 kph), the sandals take about 15-20 minutes to dry. When I am kayaking, since I am not moving around a lot, the sandals take much longer to dry, upwards of 2-3 hours. If I get the sandals wet and let them air dry without any heat or without my feet in them, I found that after 12 hours, they were still a little damp, but after 24 hours they were bone dry. I have concluded that if I get the sandals wet, I am better off wearing them until they are dry or almost dry as it will take less time. I have also noticed that the sandals are not stiff if I wear them dry. The one time I left them to air dry, I found the soft black inner fabric was stiff and a little scratchy against my heel. It took a few minutes of wear to soften the fabric.

During wear, I have notice that rocks are a little difficult to remove from the footbed. As there is a toe guard, the only ways for a rock to escape are either through a side slot, which is difficult to do, or out the back. I can normally get smaller rocks out by tapping my heel against a rock or my other sandal. So far I have rarely had to resort to taking off the sandal. When I am wading through sandy or rocky water, the easiest way to de-rock my sandals is to dip the toe in then lift my foot out of the water and allow the water to drain out the back. It may take several rinses but it means I don't have to remove the sandal. I discovered the hard way that mud is not a good thing to step in. I stepped into a deep mud puddle. As there was no clean water nearby, I knocked off what mud I could and kept hiking. After 15 minutes, I found clear running water but at that point the bottom of my feet felt like I had been hiking on sandpaper, and the mud also accumulated under the straps and caused some irritation. After removal of the mud, my foot still felt a little tender.

I like the freedom of hiking in these sandals. I find that the straping pattern helps keep my feet a little warm but there is enough air flow that my feet do not get hot. I do find my feet sweat a little, mostly on the bottoms. After wearing them, my feet do smell. It is not an overpowering aroma but it is there and it is noticeable. Mostly the odour is noticeable after the sandals have become wet. There is some odour after a long day as well but to a much less noticeable degree. The sandals also smell about the same as my feet. I have also noticed that the sandals sound like flip-flops and do tend to make some noise when walking down the sidewalk. I am not sure if this is due to a looser than normal fitting or due to the design of the sandal. It is not an unpleasant sound, but it is there and it is somewhat noticeable.

Field Conditions:

I took the Keen Venice with me on a couple of long weekend hikes. Both trips included three days and two nights in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Total elevation gain was 1400 ft (426.7 m). There were light intermittent showers the first day, temperature that night dipped to about 40 F (4.5 C). The next day was sunny and clear with temperatures peaking around 68 F (20 C). The second night dropped to between 45 and 50 F (7-10 C). The last day was clear and sunny with tempertures pushing 77 F (25 C). Conditions for both trips were about the same in temperature and precipitation, or lack thereof. Trail conditions were a mix of muddy, marshy areas with dry sandy areas. A few sections of the trail were also either rocky or leaf covered. I also had to walk on boards above the marshy areas or rock hop to avoid deep mud.

On my Sunday day trips to a local park, my elevation gain is minimal but I did manage to get in a good rain hike. Temperatures were around 52 F (11 C). The rain was not hard but was more than a drizzle. Rainfall was mostly constant over the course of the hour long hike.

For my commute into work, I am really only above ground for about 10-15 minutes and in the subway tunnels for about 45 minutes sitting in the subway car. I have seen some rain, but mostly cloudy or sunny conditions. A few days have been driving rain. The walk has some stairs but is mostly flat or very gentle inclines.

For kayaking, I generally frequent nearby ponds or lakes. Water temperatures have generally been about the same as body temperature, give or take. I have been out on at least three kayaking trips thus far with the sandals. The pond and lake have both had fine sandy beaches that I put in at. One beach had larger rocks, they were a little too big to easily enter the sandal.

Pros:

- They feel lightweight and airy

- They dry fast while being worn

- Cause my feet to smell

- They are slow to dry when not worn

Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Keen Venice > Kathryn Doiron > Field Report