Keen Newpoart H2 : Walk Wherever You Want

What better way to test a pair of multi-purpose sandals than an outdoor outing involving three small children, sandstone cliffs, a gurgling stream, and a hike along the Mississippi River.

I prepared for our excursion with sun block, shorts, a t-shirt, and a pair of Keen's Newport H2 hybrids--right out of the box.

Once at Minnehaha Falls (Laughing Waters is the common mistranslation from the Dakota language), we headed right for the base of the falls down the uneven stone stairway.   From there, we proceeded along Minnehaha Creek to it's confluence with the Mighty Mississippi with stops along the way to climb sandstone cliffs and to splash around in pools in the stream.  

An hour or so into our hike, as I emerged from the stream carrying my two-year-old niece on my back and holding my four-year-old nephew up on the slippery rock by one of his arms, I noticed what great traction the Newport H2's 3mm lugs provided . Then I realized how comfortable my feet were.   I had been in and out of the water, trudged through sand, mud and rocks, climbed little cliffs, and chased after sprinting munchkins on dirt paths all without a hint of chaffing.

The nylon webbing uppers hugged my feet without any Velcro fasteners (which I find lose their grip in water and hold onto sand even with vigorous cleaning), using a simple pull-cord system.   Thanks to the closed toe, made with a sturdy rubber-like synthetic, I walked with impunity among the big rocks in the stream.   Stubbed toes were to a thing of the past.

Three hours after we started, I found myself bounding back up a stone stairway to our starting point with a thirty-pound child clinging to my back, my daypack hanging off my front, and my feet as happy as if they'd been canoeing all day.

Bottom Line:   The Keen Newport H2 is an ingenious cross between a walking shoe and a waterproof sandal that beats my favorite sneakers for comfort and any of the many so-called water shoes I've tried.   It also turns out to be a great biking shoe because of the closed toe and extremely sturdy sole.--B.S. (Sept. '06)

Price: $90

Manufacturer's Site: www.keenfootwear.com

Buy Online: , ,