Best Keen Sandals | Reviews by OutdoorEquipment.com

keen sandals

OutdoorEquipment.com experts rate the best Keen sandals. Reviews include Keen Newport, Arroyo, Commuter & other Keen hiking, biking & commuting sandals.

Many of the company’s supporters and consumers don’t own a single pair of Keen sandals–they own multiple pairs. The footwear created by this fairly young manufacturer is of such a high quality, that people just can’t seem to get enough of them.

When you think of sandals, you usually think of open heels and open toes. These are great for the beach and around the house, but you wouldn’t want to wear sandals anywhere where you might stub your toe, walk on jagged surfaces, or trek for long distances. That’s what the founders of Keen thought, too.

Then they formed their company and changed the face of sandal footwear forever.

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The Bestselling Keen Sandals: Reviews & Ratings

With a rubber toe guard on nearly every pair of Keen sandals, you can be sure that your little piggies will be protected no matter where you want to amble.

These are rugged sandals that can just as easily be worn on the beach or at a picnic as they can on a mountain trail or city sidewalk.

Keen’s first success was with their sandals, which continue to be their bread and butter products, but they’ve since expanded their line to include sneakers and cold-weather shoes. They’ve even begun creating lines of clothing to go along with their footwear. This is a company on the rise.

Beyond the sandals they create, Keen is also devoted to helping to care for the environment and the people they share it with. In 2004, following the devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Keen donated their entire marketing budget for the year to aid in relief. From that moment on, they have become partners with a wide variety of companies that do more than their fair share of sustaining our planet.

But we’re here to talk about shoes–sandals, in particular. So let’s set aside our respect for the company’s ethics for a moment and dive into their creations.

When a company says there’s something for everyone in their catalogue, they’re usually stretching the truth a bit in order to get your attention. That’s just the way it goes. But when we say that there’s something for everyone in the Keen lineup, we really, genuinely mean it.

There are no less than five dozen different models of Keen sandals for men, women, children, toddlers, and infants. Five dozen! That’s SIXTY!

And that’s not even their whole catalogue of footwear–they have easily four times that amount in total wares.

The sandals are divided up into a few separate categories, depending on their benefits and designs:

  • Trailhead — Suited for hiking
  • Blvd — Suited for walking streets
  • Waterfront — Suited for beaches, lake fronts, rivers, and other wet locations
  • Pedal — Suited for riding your bicycle for long periods of time

Some of the best things that Keen sandals have going for them is the absolute comfort of their fit, the protection they offer your feet, and the great traction built into their design. Other sandals may provide you with these things, but none of them approach the high quality invested in Keen’s wares.

To give you a better idea of what we’re talking about, take a look at three of the bestselling Keen sandals being sold today. These are all super comfy, super durable, super supportive kicks that will work extra hard for you no matter where you wear them.

Keen Newport H2 Sandals — For Men

This is the classic Keen sandal revisited. The Newport H2 falls under the Waterfront series, offering you a great pair of lightweight kicks to hike around the mountain’s lake and rivers with.

The traction–designed with knife-cut siping– is enough so that you can walk on any surface the trail throws in your path without worrying about taking a spill.

For comfort, the nylon-webbed uppers feature hydrophobic foam that will make you feel like you’re walking with clouds wrapped around your feet–you know, but without all that moisture.

Benefits of the Newport H2 sandals include:

  • Offers great breathability
  • An amazingly comfortable design
  • Traction and support are out of this world


Learn more about Keen Newport H2 Sandals

Keen Arroyo II Sandals — For Men

These are some of the most rugged sandals you’ve ever seen. And if you didn’t look closely to see that there are indeed large open spaces in the shoes’ construction, you might not even think they were sandals at all.

The Arroyo II sandals are built like hiking shoes, and they work like them, too. You can stroll around the mountain, through the woods, and around the rock formations in places like Arches National Park in Utah without ever getting a single blister.

If you’re looking for hardcore sandals to take into the wilds, these are the ones for you.

Benefits of the Arroyo II sandals include:

  • Nothing on the construction to irritate soft and wet feet
  • Insole offers plenty of great arch support
  • Traction is beyond impressive


Learn more about Keen Arroyo II Sandals for Men

Keen Commuter II Bike Sandals — For Women

These are perfect for spring and summer bike riding. The Commuter II sandals come with SPD-compatible plates that run the full length of the shoe and thermo-plastic cleat tap plates for excellent cycling opportunities.

But these shoes aren’t just for biking–you can wear them anywhere. From street to trail, beachfront to concrete, you’ll never feel out of place while wearing a pair of Keen Commuter II Bike sandals.

And to help keep that ever-present sandal stink at bay, the Commuters feature AEGIS Microbe Shield footbeds.

Benefits of the Commuter II Bike sandals include:

  • Adjustable bungee system for comfort
  • Great versatility–where them at the mountain or shopping mall
  • Feet won’t get wrinkly in the rain


Learn more about Keen Commuter II Bike Sandals

Keen Sandals: Summary

Okay, okay, these aren’t the cheapest sandals on the market, but are they worth every penny you spend? You bet they are! With fantastic protection, unbelievable support, and a kind of comfort you would never expect in a pair of sandals,

Keen is one of the all-time best footwear manufacturers for those who like to feel a little breeze on their feet when they walk. These are most highly recommended for everyone: men, women, children, toddlers, and even infants.

A Brief History of Keen Sandals

Keen is still just a baby in terms of age–it was founded in 2003 by Martin Keen and Rory Fuerst–but it’s already a giant in terms of quality and popularity.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Keen first created the Newport in 2003, a sneaker-sandal hybrid meant to offer the light versatility of sandals with a bumper that will protect the toes.

It was wildly famous and Keen began to grow at an exponential rate, garnering Footwear News’ Launch of the Year title in 2003 and since becoming one of the most beloved outdoor sports footwear companies in the industry.

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