Keen sandals are those kind you see in outdoor stores that have the big rubber toes on them. I used to think they looked dumb, but then I needed to replace my beat-up old Tevas and decided I would try them out. At the time I had some upcoming hikes and research that would involve walking across some pretty rocky and thorny areas, but would also involve following streams through ravines. I bought a pair of Keen Newport H2sandals because I figured they would be a good combination of a fast-drying/low-maintenance sandal, and a closed-toe shoe/boot that would protect my feet in the brush. They are marketed as all-terrain/watersport sandals. The ones I bought look more or less like this, but are a different color:
Some people seem to really like Keens, but after having used them on and off for a year and a half, I have to say I'm not a fan. There are a few good things about them. If you're just wearing them around your yard or around town or whatever, they're comfortable and present no problems. They have bungee-style laces that can be easily tightened and loosened. The straps and soles are stout enough that you can walk in most places and not have to worry about your feet getting cut up.
In my view, though, Keen sandals in general suffer from a major design flaw. The open sides inevitably let things in -- sand, little stones, pine needles, whatever -- and then through the natural movement of your foot in the sandal, everything gets pushed forward into the closed toe. Sometimes this is just an annoyance, like when you're walking in a river and you get sand in there -- it doesn't hurt or anything, and you just have to resign yourself to the fact that whatever's in your shoe is pretty much going to stay there till you take them off. But on dry ground, if you get something sharp in there, like a thorn or a rock, you can't just kick your foot to get things out like you can with an open-toed sandal. You can try to point your toe upward and shake your foot so the rocks or whatever dump out through the heel, but if you have the bungee laces pulled tight, the sole of your foot is pressed against the bottom of the sandal, and the problem persists. So if you get something in the sandal -- and you do, a lot -- you have to stop and take it off. This is annoying if you're hiking and are actually trying to get somewhere.
The other problem with the Newports is that the upper is partially made from a woven fabric that absorbs water and takes a long time to dry out. The fabric is synthetic, so I thought the sandals would be fast-drying, which would be good when going from streambeds to dirt paths. I don't know if it's just the thickness of the material, or the way it's woven, or what, but once you get in the water, you can pretty much plan for your feet to stay wet for hours afterward, even on a hot day. The aforementioned problem with the toe box holds true with moisture, too -- once water gets in there, it doesn't really dry out unless you take the shoes off for awhile.
Seems like other people here have had good experiences with Keen sandals, but I don't plan on getting another pair. I just bought a pair of locally-made sport sandals that are similar to old-school Tevas, and I think that's the style I'm going to stick with. The Keens do protect your foot better in scrub and brush, but since it only takes one thorn in your shoe to make your life miserable, I'll go back to wearing sandals on most trails, and then switching to boots/hiking shoes when I have to.
Curious to hear whether others have had the same experience, or if there's some clever way to solve the problem, besides limiting the use of the Keens to clean grass and paved areas.