KEENMen's Arroyo 2 Closed Toe Hiking Sandals

I ordered these in preparation for a summer trip. I have had keen boots and several Newport sandals, as well as competing mid- and high-end brands, so I have a pretty good baseline for judgment. My overall review is they are great (superior, even) for the price.I spent about a month hiking through 4 national parks in WA (Olympic and N. Cascades), MT (Glacier), ND (Badlands) and MI (throughout the Upper Peninsula). Not hard core hiking up to mountain peaks, but substantial walking/hiking through trails and some rough terrain. I didn't use them in water (like you can do with the Newports), but almost as hiking shoes, often with socks.Pros: I have pretty wide feet, and my bridge is very high, so I often have trouble finding comfortable shoes. These things are super comfortable. The sole is very soft, so it bends easily. Yet, it's also rugged, so you have a pretty decent grip. The sandals are wide enough for most people, yet not extremely wide. The adjustable laces and elastic upper allow you to tailor it to your foot's width and height. Although the inner soles are a bit thin, they offer enough support for moderate hiking.Cons: I suppose the cons derive from some of the pros. When compared to the Newports and other more rugged sandals, these feel too soft. I don't know the long term durability of the sole, but I imagine that comfort has to come at a price. Other than that, I have no complaints.Overall, I think the Arroyo II are a fantastic sandal, especially if you get them for under seventy dollars, like I did. They are comfy, yet offer support and enough grip for light to moderate hiking. You can wear them barefoot or with socks. Consider them a very light hiking shoe. They seem durable enough. I think I will order a new pair when these wear out.

I wore these on the camino de santiago and they were absolutely perfect for me. I didn't want to wear a closed hiking boot because I know the heat & sweat would have caused me blisters. We walked about 500 miles over about a month and they kept my feet pain free for the entire journey. I didn't get a single blister :) They kept my feet cool (or much cooler than a closed boot would).They seemed to be able to handle light rain without getting wet inside which was great. We walked one day in heavy constant rain and they did get pretty wet inside as you would expect. I have to say that even when they were wet they were still pretty comfortable. I stuffed them with newspaper in the evening and left them beside a radiator and by the next morning they were perfectly dry.SIZEAs other reviewers have said the fit on these shoes are slightly large. I bought a half size smaller than usual and they were perfect.A couple of minor problems:The quick release lace button on the right shoe was a bit loose so I had to tie a loose knot in the lace to stop it from loosening. No big deal for me really but it could probably be better, the left shoe didn't have the same problem.Stones sometimes got inside the shoe, but this is a sandal with gaps in the side so really that is to be expected. Because the gaps are quite high in the sandle it wasn't very regular that a large stone would get in and only took half a minute to remove it. Again not a big problem for me but worth noting.To finish on positive note, after 500 miles the removable footbed was showing signs of wear, I contacted Keen to ask if they sold the footbed seperately so that I could replace it and they have offered to send me a replacement footbed free of charge :)I have given the shoe 5 stars, despite the one or 2 small things I mentioned, thats because I found them incredibly comfortable and I don't think i could have been happier with any other shoe for walking the camino. I'd defintely buy another pair once these are worn out, which by the look of it coudl be quite a while, they still look practically new.

Great summer shoe

I really like KEEN products, because they have a reputation for holding together and being well-made. I bought these, planning to take them on a big hiking trip down the west coast this summer - I figured with the beaches and water and the inevitable dip in the ocean, these would be great, right? Well, maybe.First off, I notice that they are ever so slightly larger than normal. I usually wear a size 13 shoe, and the way my feet are, the closest size to match my standard shoe size is a 13M. They are a little long, but that's nothing too terrible.The real reason why I gave these 4 stars instead of 5 is because of one flaw in the design. On the back of the heel, they have a bit of stitching that seems innocent enough. I recently strapped these sandals on a local walk to start breaking them in. About 2 miles into the walk, the stitching on the back of the heel had started to rub away at my heel, causing a nice friction rub. I still had 3 miles to go before I could cross the bridge and get back to my car and return home, and by the end of the 5-mile (rough estimate) walk, I had a pretty good wound on both heels.Keep in mind that I was not wearing socks, and I honestly believe that, had I been wearing socks, this wouldn't be an issue, and I would likely be leaving a 5-star review here instead.I had thought about returning them, but I don't think Amazon would take too kindly to me returning sandals with dried blood on the inside of them. So, I will keep them, as they are still excellent sandals, but if you are one of those people who cringes at the thought of wearing socks with sandals, these are most definitely NOT for you!Other than the above issue, these sandals are great! They are very supportive and offer excellent ventilation! The draw-string closure can get a bit annoying, but I just tuck it under the front lacing to hold it in place, so not really to big of a deal.Overall, I would say that these are excellent sandals. Just remember that these are HIKING sandals, and not your flip-flop beach sandals - they require socks with them - and you'll be fine. If that isn't your forte, these aren't for you.