| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
Keen Humboldt
LONG-TERM REPORT
by Lynne Durham
October 21, 2006
REVIEWER BIO
| Name |
Lynne Durham |
| Gender |
Female |
| Height |
5' 10" (1.78 m) |
| Weight |
157 lb (69 kg) |
| Age |
44 |
| Email |
lynnedurham AT yahoo DOT com |
| Location |
Benton Harbor,
Michigan USA |
BACKPACKING EXPERIENCE
I have hiked and car camped all of my life, mostly in
the relative flatlands of the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan,
but also in areas east of the Continental Divide, such as South
Dakota, New England, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Indiana,
and more. I have been backpacking since 2002. I keep my pack weight to
25% of bodyweight. However, I am always trying to lighten my load further to enhance
my comfort and enjoyment as I like to hike big mileage.
Footwear Experience
I usually do all of my trail work -- including backpacking, dayhiking,
trail-adoption chores and trail running -- in a pair of trail runners.
I usually replace the manufacturer's insole with an over-the-counter
(OTC) insole of my choice. Some shoes, however, offer plenty of arch
support for my needs. I virtually always wear socks with shoes which
helps me prevent blisters.
NAVIGATE THIS REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION
| Item name |
Humboldt
|
| Manufacturer |
Keen
|
| Manufacturer's Web
site |
http://www.keenfootwear.com
|
| MSRP |
None given on Web site
|
| Claimed Weight |
10.5 oz (298 g) NOTE: no reference size is given for this
weight on the Web site. Additionally, the site does not make it clear
that weight is per shoe, not for a pair (although weights given are
obviously per shoe). |
| Actual Weight |
25.5 oz (720 g) per pair: left, 12.8 oz (363 g); right, 12.7 oz (360 g) for a women's size 10.5 |
| Size |
As tested, women's US10.5, available in women's US5-11 (half sizes available through 11) |
| Color |
As tested, dark grey/light green; also available in grey/mango and grey/blue.
|
| Care instructions |
Machine washable. Treated with Aegis Microbe
Shield® "that helps prevent odor." Air dry after machine washing
with a small amount of detergent. |
| Country of Manufacture |
Made in China
|
| Materials |
Synthetic, webbing, mesh, rubber outsole |
More information about the product may be found in my field report.
Back to top
FIELD ACTIVITIES AND CONDITIONS
During this phase of testing, the shoes were subjected to a variety
of activities, including:
- Backpacking with a packweight of approximately 30 lb (13.6
kg) on the North Country Trail
- Trail running on trails at my local nature preserve and on
the North Country Trail
- Dayhiking on dune trails
- Trail maintenance on the North Country Trail
- Walking and running on local streets
- Mountain bicycling on forested trails in southwest Michigan
Virtually all of the miles in the long-term phase of testing were done in
dry (no rain, no water crossings) conditions.
During this testing period, the shoes saw approximately 67 miles
of outdoor trail usage above and beyond all other usages to which they
have been subjected. When added to the mileage of the field testing
period, the shoes have been subjected to approximately 167 trail miles.
Although my total mileage counts probably aren't as accurate as my
trial mileage counts, I'd say the shoes have seen approximately 300
miles total of running, walking, hiking and backpacking on all
surfaces during the testing period.
Back to top
FINAL IMPRESSIONS
The Keen Humboldt performed admirably throughout the entire testing
period. Despite approximately 300 miles of usage, the shoes show very
little visible wear. The thick-rubber, aggressive toe cap shows some
wearing down of the rubber...once again proving that I drag my toes
when I get tired. The soles show some evidence of wear, but only an
amount that would be expected to be seen with the number of miles these
shoes have been worn. The shoe upper is still totally intact, with no
holes...not even in the area where I usually poke my big toe through
in trail shoes. The mesh upper of the shoe let in a bit more trail
debris and grit than I would like, but overall the shoe was comfortable
and performed well.
At the start of the test, I had many questions I wanted to answer about
the shoes. Most were answered during the field-testing phase, but I
still had some questions I was exploring during the long-term phase.
Fit:
- How do the shoes work with my OTC insole?
- During the long-term phase of this test, I removed the Keen
insole and used my OTC insole. The insole fit into the shoe well and
did not adversely affect the fit of the shoe.
Comfort:
- Are they comfortable enough to run in for hours at a time?
- The longest run these shoes were subjected to was
approximately 2.5 hours. There was no change in my comfort level during
the run.
Back to top
Performance:
- How is the overall durability of the shoes?
- These shoes have proved to be durable. The visible wear is that
which one would expect to see for the amount of use the shoes have seen.
Back to top
THIS IS COOL
- I love the reflective stitching
- The color is great
- This is a very lightweight shoe compared to some of my trail runners
- The lack of offensive odor is a major bonus!
THIS COULD BE IMPROVED
- It would be great if product information was included with the product
- The mesh upper lets in more trail debris than I would like
Thank you to Keen and BackpackGearTest.org for the chance to test
the Humboldt trail runners.
Read more reviews of Keen gear
Read more gear reviews by Lynne Durham
|
