Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Keen or Merrell or ???
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Abbey |
Occasional toe stub, but I like the quick dry of open toe. |
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amhacker22 |
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Dammfast |
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Doughboy12 |
Salomon Quest GTX if you want a wider foot box. Not to bash on the brands you listed because they are just fine for most occasions but they have become kind of a joke in the hiking world. (My current hikers are KEENS and they are my last pair.) If you want a good long lasting pair of boots, pay the price and get something made in Europe not Aisa... |
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airmorse |
So have any of you had better luck with different foot wear. I was thinking of giving Merrell Saugatucks a try this time. Thanks in advance. |
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OldFingers57 |
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HansSolo |
Although durability and longevity are nice qualities, I personally find comfort and support to be the most valuable assets. I tried several different models of Merrel's on at the stores, but they just didn't feel right. The arch support just wasn't there for me. I have several different pairs of Keen's, (i.e., sandals, hikers, etc.) and I love them. They feel right to me and I like the large toe box that's somewhat of a design trait of Keen footwear. Hans Solo |
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bhouse46 |
Lots of threads about boots vs. sandals so I will leave that alone. Enjoy your decision. And if you want to do it right I hear there is a canyon hiking boot available that is the best of the best. |
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MNLindsey80 |
I camp shoulder months - so its usually cold and the Bog boots were AMAZING for that - since they're rated down to -30 F. Plus they just slip on - so that's a plus too. I'm personally not a fan of sandals but not for the reason you may think. I went camping this summer in sandals and my feet were eaten ALIVE my mosquitos and that was 3 weeks ago and I'm still itching like MAD. I won't wear sandals again for that reason. Mosquito bites on the feet are the worst IMO. |
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Buster |
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AmarilloJim |
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mirth |
quote mirth: "I had Teva Dozers that were awesome, they fit like they were glued to my feet and had a really aggressive outsole. Teva dropped the ball with the Dozer 3's, which were a far inferior shoe in all regards. I replaced the Dozer 3's with Keen Newport H20's 5/2014 and have never been impressed. Wore my Keen Newport H2s on a loop from Snowbank to Knife. They did OK, but are now officially slated for retirement as the neoprene by the ankles is completely shredded and the webbing doesn't have much left to hold on to. I might consider Keens in the future, but only if they have a more aggressive outsole and have some sort of back of the heel protection. I still mourn my Teva Dozer 2s. |
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LHall |
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x2jmorris |
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AndySG |
I prefer a water boot. Currently have OTBs which I like a lot. Since I only wear wet shoes when canoeing, I seem to be in the minority. |
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ChristineCanoes |
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kanoes |
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x2jmorris |
Also, not sure if you know but Keen is very good about shoes that don't hold up. You can fill out a form, take a picture, and submit it and they will give you credit for whatever the shoe was initially worth. |
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KevinL |
Before I bought the Keens, I had a pair of Sketchers sandals. Cost $60 less than the Keens and last over five years. That pair I wore everyday except while at work. Wish Sketchers still made the ones that I had. This is as close as they come now. |
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airmorse |
Thanks again. |
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Sleepy |
I also like my Classic Vasque Sundowners. My first pair lasted from 1995-2013. In 2013 the soles became unglued while scaling rocks in BW. I wore those all over the country on many hikes and they are my dry shoe at camp in BW. I reglued them and now use them as work boots on my acerage. I have a new pair that have already hiked through 10 national parks in two years. Solid boot. |
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Sleepy |
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nofish |
I like the shoes because they offer good traction and flex with a fully enclosed foot. The one weakness is ankle support because they are a low shoe but I prefer traction and flexibility on portages versus rigid supprt. I try to flex my foot and ankle to match the rocks/roots/terrain versus trying to keep my foot and ankle rigid at all costs. |
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mirth |
The straps on the sides had the stitching blow out within a couple months and they don't stick a damn when walking on a wet surface. I see Keen has a more hiking sole type sandal now & Teva resurrected something that looks like the Dozer 2 w/similar sole... I'd be more inclined to give the Tevas a look. |
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thefourofus |
I am getting close to needing replacements and some of the above posts are getting me worried that my next pair just won't be the same. |
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jcavenagh |
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HikingStick |
I picked up my first pair second hand, and went on to wear them for three years. I got my first new pair 18 months ago. They are now in the condition that first pair was when I acquired it. I'm looking forward to another two to three years of wear. Like you, I wear mine in all seasons and all weather. For a while, I wore them every day for work, too. Now, I wear them every day I'm not in the office, and on those days I switch into them as soon as I'm home. I wear nothing else on the weekends, and have even abandoned my hiking boots on most excursions. I have noticed that some of their models have different construction/design features. I like the ones that have the strapping that goes through an oblong grommet near the ankle, rather than those that have the strapping stitched in place--I've seen a lot of those on the secondary market with the stitching ripped out. Here are mine: |
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x2jmorris |
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LilyPad |
The Saugatuck has an open heel whereas the Omnium has a mostly closed heel. I've been in emergency situations twice where I had to tow my kayak behind me for long distances, walking along a very rocky lake bottom. Both times my heels got chewed up. Now I always take along sandals or other water shoes with a protective heel and toe. It's also best to have good protection along the sides of your feet. I've been wearing the Omnium for about 10 years. Eventually I quit wearing running shoes and wear the Omniums almost exclusively. With socks they do very well in cold weather. I find that the insole breaks down after about a year and they start to feel hard. At that point I add a foam insole. I have three pairs, for "dress up," sports, and yard work. As they wear out I downgrade them to yard work. It takes about 5 years to wear them out completely. Teva is very good to deal with, very good customer service. Ignore old reviews about the sole delaminating as the glue problem has been corrected. The only downside is that the Omniums take a long time to dry in wet or humid weather. If they were your only shoe on a multi-day trip they could be continuously wet. So I wear something else on the water and use the Omniums in camp. For that purpose they're excellent (!) and they can also be used for short hikes. |
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KarlBAndersen1 |
They are my mainstay shoes and will be going in to the B'Dub with me on Tuesday. I have no idea how anyone could ask more of a shoe. |
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Nozzelnut |
I switched to Vasque and have been very pleased. Bought a pair of Vasque Breeze 2.0 GTX and a pair of Vasque Eriksson's for winter. Plenty of toe room. Happy with both pairs. |
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kanoes |
quote KarlBAndersen1: "I've been wearing my current Keen Arroyos daily - year in and year out - here in Northern Minnesota for more than two years. those look good |
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Mickeal |
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airmorse |
It is still to be determined how long they will last, however I just came back from spending 6 days in the BW where they were the only footwear I brought. They preformed excellent. Thank you to everyone who responded to my post. |