Review of Commuter Shoe - Women's by Keen

I love my Keen Newport style sandals -- they are the most comfortable casual shoes I've evern owned. Cycling shoes with their stiff soles and clackety cleats are, at best, okay for short walks.

My cycling is strictly recreational. My rides are typically 12-15 miles on local rail trails. However, I've done a few week-long trips in Europe as well as local riding events like the Five Boro and MS rides in New York City.

The most notable thing about Keen's Commuter Cycling Sandal is how narrow they are compared with other Keens. If you've got truly wide feet, they probably aren't for you.

I ordered the half size up from my regular Keens because they didn't offer the half size. I feared that I'd have to return them, but since my feet are a little wider than "normal," this size worked out.

One reason I bought the Keens was because I wasn't satisfied with my Lake sandals -- the straps hit my foot in the wrong places and they're exceptionally wide. The Keens are certainly narrower -- about the same as my closed cycling shoes.

The drawstring adjustment on top of the sandals does, in fact, adjust them (unlike their non-cycling counterparts, where it doesn't seem to make a difference).

Installing the SPD cleats was easier than on my Lake sandals, which had very stuborn covers over the plates. The position is adjustable, and I was able to position them where I like them. The cleats are sufficiently recessed that they don't clack on the ground most of the time -- and they don't tear up my wooden floors and carpets if I put them on in the house before setting out.

Putting them to use, I have found that the narrow footbed makes for a good cycling shoe that doesn't bang into the frame like my regular Keens do (when I've done some casual cycling on a rental bike). Releasing the cleat is easier than the Lakes -- their width seems to require me to twist my ankle much further, although it may be the position of the cleat on the sole. Basically, I forget I'm wearing the Keens, which is exactly the point.

And when I dismount, I don't think about them then either, also the point. They are comfortable to walk in, even with the characteristic cycling shoe stiffness. And, as I said, the cleats don't seem to hit the ground as much as with my regular cycling shoes.

Anybody want to buy a hardly used pair of Lakes?

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Product Description:
209801 Features: Lock into your ride with the fully SPD compatible plate Ride through as many puddles as you can find to the waterproof foam rubber will shed moisture Protect your toes from the unexpected in the TPU cleat cap plate Cradle your foot, toe to heel, in the removable metatomical footbed Avoid bacterial growth thanks to the anti-microbial lining Making use of a siping design, the carbon rubber outsole gives extra grip on slick surfaces Specifications: Upper: polypropylene Midsole: EVA Outsole: rubber

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