KEENMen's Clearwater CNX Lightweight Water Sandals

These Keens are on my short list of “Definitely buy”Best sandal to buy for active use. They are as good for active people as any sandal comes.I have been impressed enough to have made it my only sandal for almost the whole duration of my 30’s (3 pairs over 8 years). They would have been a “best choice” for my 20’s as well, but I dI’m a guy who sticks with what really works. These sandals really work. Buy them in your normal shoe size. I’m not a fashion nut. These provide great function but offer nothing flashy. I believe you will not find another option that can stand up like these despite the wide variety of demands I’ve put on mine countless times. This is my third pair of these exactly same sandals over about 8 years (4 mos summer season use/yr). If I lived in tropical weather with no season changes, I would be averaging 1 yr of daily use out of each pair I’ve owned. I don’t wear a different style or brand of sandal. My day-to-day Asics walking/running shoes typically also last 1 yr/pair, so comparable life expectancy (I’m not a runner).Offers a good sole with avg. support that will probably be the first thing to break down with hard use, because things wear out, and I use these hard. Has good fit to the foot overall and true to sizing. Pull string can snug them up, but will slip eventually/soon after if you just slip them on and off, so just buy them in your normal shoe size and never reach for the lace cord again (it has elasticity making this a fast slip-on/off design that won’t slip off accidentally. I can compare sizing to Asics running shoes. Be aware they initially compare as more snug for the first week, but quickly stretch a little to form to your foot as is true to Asics sizing.Closed toe (not steel toe). Enough grip to walk down a slimy boat ramp (into the water) with average confidence in footing. Mine get no love...just “normal use” for outdoor activities in and out of lake water frequently. The loops for the lacing are not going to rip through before the soles wear out. They are thickly woven just like most anchor loops of a tent and are not cheaply sewn to an inferior center material (like some tent loops). I hope they keep this design around forever, because the combination of comfort, durability, no hassle with on/off, and non-flashy profile make these perfect. Black color works with about any clothing attire. I would not worry about the function of these on a day hike in the Colorado rockies with my wife and kids on any established trail.If you need something to climb K2, then stick with mountain climbing cleats and and a pick, because these have soles that might be a comparable intermediary to mid-cut climbing boots and a good running shoe. They will allow more internal movement of your foot than shoes, so if doing hard climbing, then you could develop a blister (I never have had that problem). Remember the laces are a strong cloth-coated elastic cord that will allow for more stretch than boot laces. No ankle “support“ as you can see, but the strap around the heel has never been problematic for me regarding fit, comfort, durability, or otherwise.

Much better fit than the 10 I generally take in a keen sandal, this 10.5 was wider and a just long enough. I don’t think my feet r growing but this lightweight version in the 10.5 was perfect

I have the Keen Newport sandals and I like them but I’ve always hated how goofy wide they were in the toe box. They look clownish, quite honestly, but I like the style and quality. Enter the Clearwater. These are lower profile and smaller overall so it doesn’t look like I’m wearing clown shoes.FIT: As many other reviewers have already pointed out, these run small. Knowing this, I purposely ordered a half size larger and they fit perfectly. They actually fit a little better than my Newports that are a half size smaller. So yeah, size up.QUALITY: Overall quality is on par with Keen. The webbing is robust and the rubber sole is rugged, not soft, so I anticipate tread wear to be slow, which is good. I also like that they still include the wavy razor cuts in the sole like boat shoes have for traction on wet slippery surfaces. This is a feature that is often overlooked by many other companies and, as subtle as it may be, it sets Keens apart from the rest. The only thing I can point out that I don’t like (and this is probably just me being really nitpicky) is the thickness of the elastic drawcord. It seems a bit thinner than the one on my Newports. Hopefully they last with daily pulling to tighten. Other than that, I have no other gripes regarding quality.DESIGN: One peculiar aspect of the design is the rounded soles. They’re not flat at all so ankle support suffers and your foot kinda goes wherever it wants. It would be rather easy to lose your balance or roll an ankle just walking. I’m sure I’ll adjust and adapt but it puzzles me why they went with this design at all. Not much else to say. The rest of it is very “Keen-esque”