KEEN - a Review and a Fabulous pair of Shoes!

We had our first snowfall of the season today in Calgary and I decided today was the day I wanted to tell you all about my new Keen Sandals.   Yes, sandals!  And here is one of the first photos we took of me in my new shoes.

Who needs winter boots when you've  got KEEN?

So I kind of cheated and wore socks in them but still, I wore these amazing sandals on ice!  And not just any ice - that's a glacier I'm standing on!  We'd won tickets for a Snow Coach Tour on the Athabasca Glacier (another blog topic completely) and I didn't feel like putting my hiking boots on.  I was also sporting nasty blisters from my hiking boots and these sandals were the only thing I could comfortably wear.

Hiking on the Athabasca Glacier in my KEEN Willow Sandals

While I think boots are probably to be recommended when walking on snow (or glaciers) I never fell down, I had great traction, and my feet were warm - thanks to the fact that socks fit really well in these sandals (try to do that with flip flops!)

After completing our glacier tour we proceeded to do a short hike up a nearby ridge and while I normally wear hiking boots even on a walk around the zoo, I thought - these aren't just any sandals I've got here.  These are KEEN sandals - the true and original hybrid sandal!  I'd also chosen the Willow Model because they were supposed to be well suited for a multitude of outdoor sports from paddling (which I love) to hiking (which I also do a lot of).  So, up the ridge we hiked and as expected - the sandals were great.  I did not sprain my ankle (something I'm prone to do in bad shoes), I got no fresh blisters, and there was no chaffing.  In fact, I felt so free in my light footwear I felt like I was flying to the top of the ridge.  It was one of the easiest hikes I've done in... - can't remember honestly!  A long long time!

KEEN will take you places!

To further test the shoes, I wore them on a big hike the next day.  An 8.6 km hike to be exact.  Not exactly a marathon but still, a long hike in sandals.  There was also a fair bit of height gain at 500m.  Again, not a LOT, but enough to sprain a week ankle on the descent should you have those kind of ankles (which I do).  Again, there were no problems and I actually ran a good chunk of the way back to the car chasing my little 3 year old dragon.  We went flying down the trail flapping our wings, laughing, roaring, and screaming.  My feet were awesome!  Again, I felt like I could have hiked twice the distance and scaled a mountain in these shoes!

Free as a bird in my new KEEN shoes

How fast can you run with KEEN?

Why you should shop with Keen

The Keen website is one of the best websites I've seen for outdoor gear.  It's unique in that it allows you to compare the shoes you are interested in side by side.  Just click on the shoes you're interested in (there's a "compare" box) and select "view comparison chart."  It's Brilliant!  I mean, Keen has a lot of shoes!  How else do you choose between the various models of sandals and keep track of the many features unique to each  model?  I compared about 5 models side by side when I was shopping from the Keen Canada website and chose the sandal that truly seemed to stand out as an all around hybrid shoe.

Another fabulous thing about shopping with keen is the customer service you get.  My shoes were shipped to me in under a week.  I was shocked when I saw the box in the mail!  Absolutely shocked because I think it had only been a few days since I'd placed the order.  Then Keen went above and beyond when I discovered that my shoes were a half size too small.  I seriously expected a bit of drama to return them.  I was in for a big surprise when I was simply told to put them back in the same box, to print out a pre-paid return label from their website, and mail them back.  I immediately got to order a new pair of shoes and again they were at my house within a week.  Wow!

There's one final thing I want to draw your attention to in case you've somehow missed all the fun magazine ads everywhere for Keen.  Keen is passionate about Outdoor Play!  Keen wants you to know that Recess is back and the possibilities are endless!  In my own life, I hike, paddle, bike, camp, and play.  My shoes have to keep up with me.  I'm excited for next summer because rather than bringing three or four different kinds of shoes on our camping adventures, I'll be bringing my KEEN sandals.  Period.  I will be able to canoe in them.  Bike in them.  SUP in them.  Hike in them.  And chase my son over hill, across creek, and through mud in them. 

Recess is Back with KEEN