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Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Keen Humboldt > James Triplett > Field ReportField Test Report Trailhead Shoes
 by James E. Triplett August 8, 2006
Personal Biographical Information: Name: James
E. Triplett
Age: 46 Gender: Male Height: 6' 2" (188 cm) Weight: 199 lb (90.3 kg) Foot size: 12 (US - as measured on a Brannock Device) Email address: james_triplett@hotmail.com City, state: Cedar Rapids, Iowa Backpacking Background: I am
an experienced hiker, backpacker, and camper, and am gaining more
experience with winter camping every year. I hike every day, and
backpack as much as possible, which equates to many weekends
backpacking and camping each year. I try and take at least one
week-long backpacking trip yearly, in addition to many one to
three-night weekend trips. My style can best be described
as light to mid-weight, but not at the cost of giving up too much
comfort. I sleep in a tent, and generally pack more gear than I
need.
Manufacturer: Keen Footwear Product information: Year of
Manufacture: 2006
Date Item Received: May 23, 2006 Product Name: Men's Humboldt (Shoe) Model Number: 1209 BKOR Size: Mens 11 ½ US Color: Black/Burnt Orange MSRP: None provided
Additional Product information: Materials and Features:
Colors
and Sizes:
 REVIEW: Test Conditions: I
have worn the Keen Humboldt shoes regularly since the test period began
in May. This usage has included hiking on dirt trails, through
brush,
on rock or gravel trails, and a few stream crossings. The terrain
has
been flat to hilly, without any dramatic climbs. The temperature
range
for the test period has been from around 42 to 90 F (5.5 to 32 C), and
the location of these hikes has been predominantly in Eastern Iowa
where the elevation is approximately 860 feet (262 meters). I
have
also used the Humboldts on some trails in Missouri where the elevation
is approximately 530 feet (162 meters). The total distance used
is
more than 125 miles (200 km).
Humboldt Fit & Comfort: The
Keen Humboldts fit my feet quite well. There is just a tiny bit
of
room inside the shoes beyond my toes, and the sides conform nicely to
my feet. After prolonged use, and being totally wet more than
once, the uppers seem to have stretched slightly. The result of
this stretching is that the upper pair of eyelets (which are really web
loop lace retainers) touch each other when I lace up the shoes.
This prevents me from tightening them quite as much as I would
like. That being said, the shoes feel a tiny bit loose, but not
to the point where it is a concern. I would like it if the
eyelets were spread a little further apart so that I could snug the
shoes up tighter, but I am not uncomfortable using them they way they
are. This situation is improved when wearing heavy socks, but as
I wear the shoes through the summer months I am using thin below the
ankle socks.
Trail Use:The stretchy sock-like uppers are comfortable on my feet. The tops and sides of my feet have not experienced any pressure points, and I have enjoyed using the Humboldts on 2 to 5 mile (3 to 8 km) hikes pretty much right out of the box. The footbeds are cushiony, but don't provide a tremendous amount of support. The insoles are not sewn or glued in, so they can easily be removed to allow for specialized insoles. I was able to install some off the shelf insoles without difficulty, but returned to the factory insoles to see how well they would do. I haven't had any foot problems due to arch support with the factory insoles, although my other pair do feel more comfortable.  I
have used the Keen Humboldts for all my hiking and backpacking over the
test period. This includes daily 2 to 5 mile (3 to 8 km) hikes in
the woods near my house, a couple of 6 or 7 mile (10 to 11 km)
backpacking over-nighters in the nearby parks, and some treks on well
maintained trails in Missouri. Additionally, I have worn them on
bike trips, and while launching, chasing, and retrieving hot air
balloons (which can lead to some crossing of tall, dew-soaked fields in
the early morning hours). On two occasions I have crossed Indian
Creek through knee-deep water. Through wet fields, the creek, and
during hikes in the rain, the Keens have been totally soaked several
times.
Test Results: As
mentioned above, the Keen Humboldts are comfortable on my feet.
The simple mesh fabric of the uppers stretches nicely around my feet,
and breaths quite well. The soles of the Keens are a bit wide
which makes footing feel secure. They were barely narrow enough
to get into the toe clips on my bike (acknowledging that that is not
their intended purpose). The tread is grippy, although in my
opinion not terribly aggressive. The shoes provide traction on
dirt, rock, and wet grass admirably, and slip and slide about as much
as any of my footwear when encountering mud. When crossing
streams they
provided adequate stability on the wet stones of the creak bed.
The ankle support offered is somewhere between a sandal and a trail
shoe. As mentioned in my Initial
Report, the shoes do not have a tongue and overlapping upper
construction is in conventional shoes, but rather a "Stretch Mesh Mono
Sock" attached to the footbed. For the areas I have been using
the Keens, this support has been sufficient. Whether wet or dry,
the Keens squeak. Although it isn't very loud when hiking in the
wilderness, I do find it annoying.
Cleaning
& Care: The
only maintenance I have done on the Humboldts is to wash them a couple
of times. After prolonged use I did develop some foot odor in the
shoes, and I scrubbed them a brush and water from a garden hose.
They results were that the Humboldts cleaned up as good as new, except
for a few scrapes and some minor trail wear. I was a little
surprised that they took about a day and a half to dry when set outside
in humid Iowa summer conditions. Wearing the shoes when damp, and
changing into dry socks periodically, sped the drying time up to about
8 hours.
Test
Plan:I
will continue to use the Keen Humboldt shoes for all my hiking,
backpacking, and camping needs throughout the test period. This
will include daily hikes of 2 to 4 miles (3 to 6.5 km) and multi-day
trips of up to 10 or 12 miles (16 to 19 km) per day. I expect the
Humboldts to see dry dirt trails, wet grassy trails, as well as mud,
stream crossings, pavement, and most imaginable surfaces. I am
curious as to the stability of the light uppers on the Humboldts, and
am also interested in how quickly they dry after being used in the
rain, or submerged in a creek. The current plan is for these
hikes to take place here in Eastern Iowa. The elevation here is
around 860 feet (262 meters) and the temperature and precipitation data
can be found in the table below. I will likely also be using the
Keens in Missouri and North Carolina, but those trips and dates have
not been established at this time.
 Summary: The Keen Humboldt shoes are an interesting
design which bridges the gap between sandals and trail shoes. I
have found the Humboldts to be comfortable, durable, and stable on
multiple surfaces, while offering reasonable ankle support. The
highly breathable uppers are excellent for keeping my feet cool.
The only negative I have found to this point is that the lace design
doesn't allow me to tighten the shoes as much as I would like.
Well, that and the fact that the shoes didn't come with the Secure Fit
Lace Capture System as advertised.
I will continue to wear, and enjoy, the Keen Humboldt Trailhead Shoes for the remainder of the testing period. Respectfully submitted, -James T.
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