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 Information:

Manufacturer: Keen Footwear
Location: Portland, Oregon
URL: www.keenfootwear.com

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

Listed Weight:	12.6 oz (357 g)
Actual Weight, Left:	14.7 oz (417 g)
Actual Weight, Right:	14.6 oz (414 g)
Actual Weight, Total:	1 lb 13.3 oz (831 g)

Additional Product information:
(from the Keen website)

Materials and Features:

Uppers: Synthetic, Webbing, Mesh
Lining: Woven Synthetic
Rubber: Carbon Non Marking
Secure Fit Lace Capture System (not provided on the shoes I received)
Hydrophobic Synthetic Upper
Aegis Microbe Shield Treated Mesh Lining
Stretch Mesh Mono Sock

Colors and Sizes:

Black/Burnt Orange (this test), Grey/Green, and Dark Grey/Navy
Sizes: US Mens 7 - 14, 1/2 sizes up to 12

REVIEW:

Initial Inspection:

The Keen Humboldt shoes arrived in a standard shoebox without any accompanying literature. I received the size and color which I had requested. My feet actually measure size 12 (US) on a Brannock Device, but I have had success with both size 11 ½ and size 12 shoes. My current Merrill trail shoes are size 12, and a little roomy, so I opted for the 11 ½ Keens. They fit great! (My feet were actually size 11 for nearly 40 years, and then as they started getting flatter, they started getting longer. Hopefully they have stopped by this time.)

The Humboldt shoes pictured on the website have solid grey laces, and a locking device for the laces above the tongue (or the simulated tongue, as described below, in this case). The shoes I received have standard laces, which are orange and grey, and which must be tied conventionally (i.e. no cord locks). Searching the web for images of the Humboldt, results in pictures of both configurations. Since the Humboldts must be purchased through a retailer I imagine it is best to confirm the configuration with the retailer. At this time I do not know if the cord lock is the new design or the old design.

Most of my flatland hiking is done in mid-weight trail runners, which are pretty much athletic shoes with off-road treads. For rocky and hilly terrain I generally use lightweight hiking boots. In mild conditions I have tried sandals, but without much success. My feet are narrow, and I have trouble keeping sandals tight enough. The Keen Humboldt is somewhat of a sandal on the bottom, with a full mesh enclosure (and laces) on the top. My initial impression is that this is a viable light-weight shoe option for me, at least in most of the conditions I hike in.

Laces of the Keen Humboldt

What is immediately noticeable about the Humboldt is the "mesh sock" uppers. The upper is contoured to look like there is a tongue which sticks up past the laces, but it is actually continuous mesh material from one side of the shoe to the other, and there really is no tongue. The laces are routed through web loops which can be seen in the picture above. The highest set of webbing wraps around the back of the shoe to provide tension around the heel. This can be seen in the picture below.

The tread of the Keen Humboldt is uniform and not terribly aggressive. The unique part of the tread is a channel under the toe pad area of the foot, as the channel is curved and has a checkerboard pattern inside it. There is another curved channel under the heel and arch of the foot. These can be seen in the picture below.

Tread of the Keen Humboldt

Keen Footwear was founded in 2003 and has a one-year warranty on all products against defects in materials and workmanship. The Humboldts are machine washable and have been treated with Aegis Microbe Shield to help prevent odor, staining, and deterioration.

Initial Fit:

Once the shoes are on, the retention by the webbing seems secure, and the stretch of the mesh upper allows for snugging the shoes up tight. Walking in the Keens, the heel feels light and airy (and a little wide), and the upper doesn't rub anywhere, except for a little bit behind my right ankle. I got a little nervous when the Keen Humboldts arrived and I remembered that I had requested 11 ½ shoes. But not to worry. The shoes have just enough extra room to accommodate thick socks, or even a two-sock system. The Keens are comfortable and the stretchy fabric makes for a nice secure feel. I have not detected any pressure points.

Test Plan:

I will be using 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.

Month	Temp Range degrees F	Temp Range degrees C	Precipitation (inches)	Precipitation (cm)
May	50 to 73	10 to 23	4.2	10.7
June	60 to 82	16 to 28	4.6	11.7
July	64 to 85	18 to 29	4.2	10.7
August	62 to 83	17 to 28	4.5	11.4
September	53 to 75	12 to 24	3.5	8.9

Summary:

The Keen Humboldt shoes are currently shown under Mens > Trailhead > Humboldt on the Keen Footwear site. Based on the images on the website, I had anticipated that the shoes would be full trail shoes, and more grey than black. Whether intentional or not, the image on the website is a pure side profile highlighting as much grey as possible. The shoes I received seem very black. This is okay, but not exactly what I expected. The other surprise, as I mentioned above, is that these are not full shoes, but rather, as Keen describes, a "stretch mesh bootie" on top of a shoe bed. As such, this is a much lighter shoe which appears to offer less support than a conventional trail shoe, based on my initial few steps in the Humboldts. This is not surprising as Keen excels in making sandals, and the Humboldt is kind of like a sandal with a mesh upper.

All that aside, I really like the Keen Humboldts. Since taking the pictures of the nice clean Keens which appear in this report, I have put a few miles on the Humboldts and have enjoyed wearing them. Look for more information on trail use in my field report.

Respectfully submitted,

-James T.

Read more reviews of Keen gear
Read more gear reviews by James E. Triplett

Initial Report