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- Verified Buyer
They are insanely comfortable. They last for years and years, even using them constantly in fresh water (have not tested them in salt water). After probably 15 years of wearing them now, I could easily sell these sandals. This is my fourth pair in about 15 years. I LOVE them. Maybe they are not entirely stylish to many people, but I would rather have comfortable feet, a comfortable back, and the Newports protect your toes and feet exceptionally well, unlike many other sandals. Never liked the Newport H2's. Can't stand the rubber footbed of the H2's. These original Newport with leather footbed, in my opinion, are the best sandals that have ever been made and they are definitely almost indestructible. They will eventually wear out, but I have never had a pair fall apart, even when the sole had so many miles on it that it was entirely smooth, which takes a LOT of miles to do. They also provide excellent traction. If you spend a lot of time in fresh water rivers, traction, durability, and protection of your feet are critical. These original Newports have NEVER let me down.It took some getting used to. I liked everything about them except the breaking them in part.It dd take a couple weeks for them to start forming but for me they have lasted 2 summers now and I wear them while it's warm for roughly 20+ hrs a week (16-18 weeks/year).My feet are my biggest problem. I need breathable footwear and I need it comfy. I didn't like them immediately but they are shoes so I didn't immediately write them off. Overall 4 stars for me.I've had Keens for many years. I had a pair just like this and they finally gave out. These replaced my older pair and are great. FYI I prefer the Keens with leather straps like this. I had a pair with nylon straps and they irritated my small toe and I never could fix the problem.Lost my keens on a trip this spring... Bought this pair before a trip to Europe with miles of walking (100 miles+) , after the third day, they replaced my walking shoes in most situations. Great fit, great arch support, and protected my feet.I love these sandals. This is my second pair. Word to the wise; order your true size. They will feel tight at first but after a couple weeks the leather will stretch and you’ll have a perfect fit. Go bigger and you’ll be choking down heavily on the elastic.They are a great company Keen and I love having my Amazon account as a prime member! Thease are quality keen shoes they are AWSOME!Was at the mall looking for another brand and a gentleman told me about this brand, said this was the best shoe he’s ever had. Out of curiosity i asked the sales clerk to get me a pair to try, they didnt hsve my size, so i took a shot and ordered from Amazon. Great decision they came in handy in my Portuguese and Moroccan travels.In the advertisement they say:TRACTION & PROTECTION: Multi-directional lugs with razor siping help provide superior grip on slippery or wet terrain.However there is no siping on the sole and my old shoes had the siping on this leather model. I use the shoes for sailing and am disappointed by the lack of siping.Fit of the leather model is great. And will be even better after a wear them for awhile. I have tried the H2 sandals and they are too hard to put on your feet; there is no give in the polyester straps.I wonder why they removed the siping - bad move!This is my second pair and I really should throw out the first pair but can’t bring myself to do that just yet. They will be fine around the house but not for walking too far. They are a bit “down at heel” and don’t give me the footbed support they once did. There is also noticeable wear on underside of heel. At least this tells me something and that is that they got worn and walked in a lot. I normally take a size 12 UK but these fit me at size 11. They are a bit tight until you get the back heel strap to soften with a bit of wear and then they become easier to put on and take off. The smaller size gives the shell of the saddle a tighter fit but still comfortable. They are a bit wide for driving a stick-shift car as my feet sometimes touch two pedals at once. This is obvious when you look at how wide they are and allow your toes to spread for comfort. A great sandal and a firm favourite in my collection of casual footwear.So many products to choose from these days and not everything is going to be perfect for every individual. After spending a bit of time trying to find something that was a good fit, I came across these leather version of these. After a couple of weeks and almost daily use, I am very impressed. Under the leather is some sort of soft neoprene-type material, which makes this sandal very comfortable to wear. The footbed is really comfortable too, and the closed-toe just adds that bit of protection from daily dog walks on uneven canal paths, pavements and all the different areas that parks and wooded areas throw at you.If there's a downside, they aren't light, but that doesn't mean they are heavy either. It would be really unfair to compare these to sliders, flip-flops or something that is all mesh, which are obviously very light. They seem lighter than walking shoes, and maybe on-par or a tad heavier than some outdoorsy trainer, but are designed for rougher terrain, and work really well.I think the Keen website recommend going up a half size on the UK sizes which I did, and the size came inthe right size for me. You get what you pay for in general, and these are so far definitely worth the money. Brilliant sandal.I bought these sandals for walking in the summer. I wore them in the house for a couple of hours, to satisfy myself that they were the correct size, and then ventured out the next day for a longer walk. Only seven miles, on a mixture of roads and grass tacks. By the end of the walk I had blisters on the outside of both feet. The blisters were about two inches long on each foot and coincided with where the soul meets the straps.These shoes are expensive and sold as hiking sandals. Sadly, I suspect they won't be any good except for light walks around town. Very very disappointed.Two stars because they look nice.This pair were an exchange for a 9.5 (UK) that I ordered. They were small but I could get them on my feet. I decided they were too small and exchanged for a pair size 10 (UK). The tens I cannot even get on my smallest foot!. Now one pair was made in one country and the other pair in a different country again which may be a factor. I've happily been wearing these sandals for over 20 years so what has changed Keene?? How many "sizes" do I have to try to get a pair that are actually sized correctly?Due to the weather, I can't rate these sandals. But I have been wearing this model only in color differences, material, for 10 years! I still have the first ones 10 years ago until this year. I use them all and they still look great. He just wants to take care of them but nothing that is challenging. It's unusual, but I'll give you a photo of my 10-year-old sandals. I can rate them. I note 10 years with maintenance. All I have to do is repair and sew with a small thread. Do not leave anything up to max.
