Keen's hybrid footwear made a big impact in the UK last year with
their distinctive boxy styling and unusual looks seducing a good few
wallets and they've expanded the range for this summer.
Top dog in the summer range is the new, more ventilated,
Venice sandal pictured below. It's a similar sort of shoe to
the Newport, which we tested last year - see link below - but with
more gaps and less upper to make it more amenable to really stinking
hot weather use.
Unlike the Newport, which is still in the range, the Venice is
available in both waterproof leather, but also in a fast-drying
synthetic polyester version called the Venice H2. An Aegis
Microbe Shield treated lining promises to minimise pong potential and
a metatomical footbed. Price is £64.99.
Like the Newport it also features Keen's patented toe protection
bumper, but the company tell us that the shape is more streamlined
and less agressively boxy on the Venice.
Should make for an interesting, cool, quick-drying summer shoe
and, like other Keen footwear, it's machine washable in both leather
and fabric guises.
The UK Keen site is at www.keenfootwear.co.uk
but the new range isn't on it at the time of writing. You can,
however, see it at the US site www.keenfootwear.com.
Oh, and take a look at the Ochoco
trail-running shoe as well... Interesting :-)
Halfway between sandals and trail shoes, the Keen Taos is what you want to be wearing if someone spills a jeraboam of bubbly over the rockery on Christmas Day ;-)
