What's Working Wednesday: Keens

Back in the summer of 2008 we were busy researching life in the Caribbean because we thought we were moving there for the first 18 months of Glenn's medical school education. One thing that we wondered about was, "What kind of shoes should we get?" We would be travelling mostly by foot and the roads on the island we would be moving to were pretty rough. From our research we found out that a pair of Crocs would last about a month but Keens would last the whole time we were there (provided they weren't outgrown by the kids). We got a coupon code and put in an order for 6 pairs from EMS. 

Our shiny new Keens July 2008

We didn't end up moving to the Caribbean but we did use those Keens almost that whole summer and fell in love with them. I love how well they protect our feet. You can wear them on any terrain - wet, dry, rocky, steep, full of roots - and your feet stay safe. I especially appreciate the toe protection. We wear them for general everyday wear, for water fun, and for hiking and they hold up great and are comfortable.

We loved our Keens so much that, when the kids' feet grew, we bought them new ones. We keep an eye out for clearance sales to buy sizes that the kids will be growing into. We have also been fortunate to buy a couple pairs of almost new kids Keens at thrift stores.

Do you wonder how they hold up? The kids are each on pair #2-4 and they've only stopped wearing previous pairs because their feet have grown. Glenn & I, on the other hand, are still on our first pair. That's almost 5 complete summers of almost constant wear (by me at least). Even at full price, that is less than $20/yr for great sandals. Which reminds me of a conversation that they came up in back in April 2011.

Glenn's and my Keens July 2012 summer #5 of almost constant use April to October. (I should probably wash them after camping on an island last weekend.)



The bottoms are showing some wear but not too bad :)



I'm so glad that, even though we didn't use them in the Caribbean, Keens were suggested to us. I'm on the look out for a new pair because mine are starting to show wear. I've decided that my next pair needs to be a darker though so they don't show dirt as badly. Glenn's still look good, mine are pretty dingy.