Fri 15 Aug 2008
Posted by Meg under Outdoors , Preparations
www.keenfootwear.com
With luggage restrictions and fees getting a little out of control, we’re all looking for ways to lighten our loads. Shoes have always been a big space hog in my bags, but I’ve had to break my habit of packing a shoe for every occasion.
The search was on for the one pair of shoes that would suit all my traveling needs. I guess most folks would just wear their favorite sneakers, and I could’ve done that, too, but sneakers are a pain when going through airport security, and they’re not exactly great for a beach trip or wading in a river.
For a while now, I’ve been coveting a pair of Keens. They’re those funky new shoes that you’ve been seeing on all your hippie friends’ feet lately. Maybe it’s just the granola talking, but I think these are some sexy shoes. So as a present to myself back in June, I finally bought a pair of my very own.
I’m not going to lie; it took a long time to break these babies in. I had to wear bandaids on the backs of my heels for a few weeks. But it was worth it. These shoes are fantastic.
They were originally produced as water shoes, so they’re great for playing around in rivers and mud. But then people started wearing them on hikes and realized they were great for just about any outdoorsy activity. (That’s also when the price went up from $50 to about $100 a pair. Dang.)
I wear my Keens every day, and when I travel, they’re the only shoe I pack. They slip right on and off, so they’re no trouble in a security line, and you can tighten them on your foot with one tug at the elastic. They’ve been swimming with me in the James River, they’ve been hiking, they’ve been to a wedding (okay, they don’t make great formal shoes, but I like to think I pulled it off), and last week I took them for a run. I’ve tested their limits in every way I can think of, and they’ve held up amazingly well. I love them so much, I’d buy more pairs, but I don’t need to. My first ones are still good as new, only without the blisters.
www.keenfootwear.com
You can find a list of online retailers here, but I’d recommend trying on a pair first. They run pretty small, and I had to go up an entire size when I bought mine. They come in men’s, women’s, and children’s sizes, and Keen keeps adding more styles to their brand. I still like the original designs best, and you can get them in all kinds of funky colors (mine are fuschia).
Do you have a favorite travel shoe? Tell me about it in the comments.