Keen Newport H2 Sandals - Review

Product: Newport H2 Sandal

Supplier: Amazon

Cost: £60

A Brief Footwear History

I bought the Keen Newport sandal explicitly for my long distance walk on the West Highland Way. I previously had the Teva sandal, which cost me over £70 at the time. This was back in 2007, and even though the Keen sandals can cost up to £80 in some outdoor stores, I would quite happily pay that cost again once my current Newport sandals end up in the bin. My Teva sandals were, at best, okay and I really wanted to like them. Unfortunately, even after a few years of wearing them they still hurt my feet. The pain was centred around the inside of my feet and at the heal where the sandal rubbed. After that experience I was reticent about buying another pair of sandals.

A New Challenge

At the start of this year I was asked by a relative to walk with him on the West Highland Way. I had walked this route before and on my first trip, I wore a pair of leather walking boots. It felt like that these boots were on a mission to slowly destroy my feet. My feet didn't have the chance to be cooled during the long days hiking, and by the end of the day they were sitting in a pool of sweat. Not pretty, I know but this factor combined with the fact that my toes were getting shunted towards the front of the boot every time I went downhill. This meant that very soon after I had started, my feet were bruised and blistered. When I agreed to walk the WHW this year, the only footwear I had was another pair of leather boots. 

So my options were leather boots that would kill my feet, sandals that would be a pain in the long term or something else. I know, I could have bought a trail running shoe but I wanted to give sandals another shot and I was glad that I did.

I originally looked for another pair of Teva before comping across Keen Newport H2. The reviews looked promising and when I saw that I could pick up a pair for only £60 I was in. The Keen Newport sandals felt comfortable to wear right from the off. I did wear these consistently for a few months prior to the walk, however the never felt like I had to break the in. they were easy to put on and to tighten to your foot using the toggle, they didn't rub against my foot or heal and they didn't cause any blistering of my feet.

So, What's it Like?

With all this preamble, the review is quite simple - these sandals worked brilliantly on the West Highland Way. My foot felt supported when it was in the sandal and it never seemed that I had to break them in, even though I wore them consistently for a few months prior to the walk. The material is sturdy enough but also comfortable to mould to your foot. There is a thicker rubberised section at the front of the sandal to protect your toes when hiking. This works really well and the air flow through the sandal means that your feet never get too hot. The sandal can also machine washable and it is easy to wash when out and about. They also dry quickly, which is a bonus.

Any Issues?

 The top of my right foot did bruise slightly due to rubbing between the fabric and my foot. My right foot did also swell up but I put that down to the amount of miles walked each day and the weight of my pack. I did start walking in my leather boots for the Great Glen Way and within 10 miles my feet started to blister. With the Newport sandals, I have never had a blister even when walking over  20 miles on consecutive days.

Another Hiker Ditches Their Boots

Verdict

These are great sandals that are comfortable to wear and supports your feet when out hiking. They are also easy to maintain. 

Pros

Really comfortable to wear

Easy to clean

Perfect for hill walking or hiking

Cons

Small stones can find there way into the shoe.

Score 4/5