Keen Whisper Sandals

I love these sandals.

Bought them right before a road trip to Arizona and Utah, where I knew a lot of hiking (and water hiking through the Narrows in Zion!) would be done. I barely took these off. They were perfect for everything--walking, hiking, jogging, all of the above through water (nothing like the scare of a potential flash flood to get you jogging through the narrows..). I wore them with and without socks.

These are SO COMFORTABLE! Now, I'm usually an 8.5-9 (more of a 9), but I made the mistake of going a half size above my true size because when I tried on the 9, it felt like my heel was hanging off the back of the shoe. There was still plenty of room in the toes, which I knew I needed, but the hanging heel just left me unsettled. I brought this up to the person working the shoe department and he assured me that it was supposed to be like that, and over time my foot would mold the sole to a better fit. I ended up buying the 9...and then after walking around a bit in them at home, I still felt uncomfortable with my heel hanging.

I brought them back the next day to exchange to a 9.5, which felt like a better fit...but after 4 days of walking and hiking in AZ and UT, I realized I probably should have listened to the guy and stuck with the 9. Toe space-wise, I had plenty of room for the downhill hikes. But I realized that while hiking up, my heels were hanging off the back edge anyway...and instead of them hanging off of a size 9, they were hanging off a size 9.5...which made the toe space seem SO much longer, and sort of like I was wearing clown shoes. I was afraid I'd trip over the extra shoe length.

To me, that was the biggest drawback. But I don't hold that against Keen. They made a great shoe, and the REI worker gave me his two cents, but I remained hard-headed, and that's my fault. Regardless, I still love the shoe, and I recommend it to all of my friends who are considering getting walking/hiking sandals.

I"m very particular about my footwear, and so are my feet. I don't chase after style, but comfort and support rule my shoe choices. 90% of the time I wear high stability running shoes. They're not only good for my feet, but my knees like the choice and unhappy knees make for an unhappy me.

I wanted some sandals for riding my bike on wet, sloppy, rainy days. I ended up not liking "bike shoes" and did not want to ride clipped in any more. My running shoes do fine for me on dry days, but once they get wet it takes a long time for them to dry out. Not too bad when it's hot, but not my preference even then. When it's cool/cold that gets really uncomfortable.

I had tried a different model of the Keen sandals and returned them before they ever left the house. They just weren't comfortable enough for my hard to please feet. When I saw these in the store I really wasn't expecting anything different, but tried them on just for spite -- and I was really surprised to find that they were very comfortable. I was still skeptical that I'd be happy with them, but I had to give it a try and so far I have not been disappointed. I've used them with and without socks in various late summer-through fall weather and have had no problems. I think the longest I've ridden the bike with them was around 40 miles. If they weren't bothering me by then I don't expect that they will.

It was nice to have an open style on the hot days, and no fear of them getting wet on the rainy days.

I've walked around in them on relatively short errands - shopping mostly - and they still seem very comfortable to me. As previously mentioned, my knees have issues with bad shoes, but from the lack of knee pain or discomfort I have to conclude that these provide good cushioning and support.

I only put "feels too narrow" because it fits my feet - hooray! I wear an 8.5 AA usually, and have both narrow (side-to-side) and thin (top to bottom) feet. I got the 8.5 and it fits quite well. I was delighted to find some Keens that run narrower, because I feel like you could fit 2 of my feet in all of their other models that I have tried to-date! This style is much narrower than others.

Pluses of this shoe are that it protects your toes from stubbing on rocks, logs, etc.; it has a fair amount of space between straps so if you get a rock in the shoe, you can shake it out the side fairly easily; it is fairly secure on the feet, although my feet had a little bit of side-to-side "slop" (in part because of the narrowness of my feet); and it is softer than other all-webbing water shoes.

I have used these for casual athletic use and walks by / in the river, the primary drawback I have found so far is that they dry very slowly for me. I used them in the river one day while camping and they took nearly 24 hours to dry in 80-90 degree weather (off my feet) and part of that time was in direct sun. I try not to wear wet shoes because they chafe my feet worse than when dry (this is the reason I abandoned my last pair of Chacos), so I was out these shoes for most of a day when I would have liked to be wearing secure-sandals instead of less supportive flip-flops. I may see if they dry faster when worn than off the feet.

I was planning a trip to Costa Rica...weather wise it would be in the 90s with high high humidity and rain. I thought my current hiking shoes wouldn't be such a great idea. So I was looking at these shoes figuring it would be breathable and still able to withstand water and rainforest hiking. On my trip, my backpack never arrived to the airport, but luckily I wore these sandals on the plane and throughout my whole trip in Costa Rica.

They are great for hiking in wet weather. They were great for the natural hot springs and getting completely drenched. They were comfortable for walking around the city. Great all around hiking sandal.

My complaints, sort of vain of me to say, but they're not the prettiest and flattering of shoes. I'm not a big fan of the looks. Also I agree with other people's reviews of how rocks get in them and get annoying. They are not good for the beach or where small pebbles can get caught inside. Also they are pretty slow to dry. I got them completely wet at the hot springs and the next day they were still damp.

But other than the minor complaints I felt really lucky to have those shoes with me on the trip.

I needed a water shoe for a week-long trip to Lake Powell involving hiking, rock scrambling, and water. I debated buying these for the longest time because I think they are the ugliest shoes I have ever seen and I had a hard time justifying [$] for ugly shoes. Low and behold, these things are awesome. They were comfy even after zero break-in and they were the only shoes I wore the entire week. I like them because they protect my toes, which was a requirement. They also dry out and wash off easily, and are super lightweight. They were comfortable and durable and the perfect shoes for this trip.Cons: It is hard to remove rocks that get inside the shoe, although that can also happen with Tevas and other water shoes. Also, I almost got an 8.5 (I wear a 9) because of other reviews saying they fit a half-size smaller, but I got the 9s and they fit me beautifully...when I'm standing still. When walking, the shoe somehow manages to push my foot back so that it feels as if my heel is falling out. It seems like buying an 8.5 would have made this situation worse, not better. Still, I found them okay, despite this oddity. Oh, and did I mention that they are ugly?

I have worn these everywhere from Indian Garden (Grand Canyon) to work (State government offices) and I love them. I get lots of compliments. They are extremely comfortable, very versatile and look terrific. After my GC trip I hosed them off in the shower and they looked good as new. I've had them for nearly a year and they look just as nice as when I got them. I can wear them with or without socks, though I prefer socks as, alas, they do acquire the famous 'Keen stink'. But, all things considered, not terribly problematic, you just have to remember to give them a good scrub and leave a few hours for them to dry before the next wear. What I love most about them is they are so functional without, well, being a man's sandal. Being, ahem, of a certain age, I wore mens' sandals for years because I loved how they wore, but UGH they were ugly! This was back in the day when most outdoor products were made for men. I am so pleased that there are now so many great, functional, well-made athletic/outdoors products for women, (and particularly with Keen products, with so many great colors and styles). It hasn't always been so!

This is my first pair of Keen's and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I just got back from a 5 day camping trip to SEKI NP where hiking was the main event. I stupidly forgot my hiking boots and only had these new and unworn keen's and a pair of campsite flip flips. We had several 10+ mile days planned!

Luckily for me, these shoes really performed great in situations where I should have been in boots. I forded rivers, hiked in rain and even hail in these puppies, made it above 9,200 ft at Mineral King with snow still on the ground, and even ran between wooded areas to avoid an afternoon lightening storm, all in my Keen Whispers. It wasn't something I would have planned for my Keen's maiden voyage, but I wasn't about to let my absent-mindedness ruin my trip.

All in all, highly recommended. I couldn't have done all that in my old North Face water shoes, my feet would have been worn to the bone. I'm glad to find that Keen lives up to their rep.

I really wanted to get the Keen Venice shoes because I like their colors and design so much better. Venice also has a nicer foot bed. But, it wasn't meant to be with my narrow feet.

The salesperson told me these shoes run half a size small (true).

I was looking for traveling shoes in hot and humid monsoon season. These are great. I have to disagree with other reviewers who say these shoes work on the beach. I took them to the park and sand and bark chips kept going into my shoes and not being able to come out. I kept having to take them off.

In all, these shoes are very comfortable and I wear them almost daily around town. I love that it's light (lighter than Venice and Newport) and airy and so easy to slip on/off. And best of all, my toes are protected.

I love these sandals! My old Tevas needed replacing and my friends love their Keens. I tried them on and they were perfect, without any breaking in. VERY comfortable. I am going to Belize this summer and they will be perfect water shoes. I've been hiking with them locally and they have already saved my toes from a lot of bumps and bruises - the toe guard is awesome. They dry quickly. And the "Whisper" style is a LOT less bulky than some of the other Keens I've seen out there - much more feminine.

I agree with the reviewer who said their foot slips backwards a bit out of them - but I haven't found that to be a problem. The heel strap keeps it from being uncomfortable, so it's just the edge of my heel that sometimes slips back from the sole. It's hardly noticeable.