I love a trip when I only have to bring one pair of shoes. I’ve traveled for weeks in Thailand and Bhutan with one pair of sandals – shoes that I can wear in warm weather yet be able to slip on a pair of socks when days or nights are cooler. That’s exactly what I had in mind for these Newport H2 sandals from Keen.
So far, so good.
On my trip to Hawaii Island, these got put to the test in a variety of ways. While I didn’t have to worry about cool weather, I did have to worry about different terrains.
On Day 1, we hiked around Volcanoes National Park. Our group had to trample across volcanic rock called a’a, a type of lava that’s
quite jagged (the joke is that a’a is what you say if you were to walk across it barefoot). Any shoes with less of a grip than the Newports, and this could have been dangerous. But these held up better than any shoes I own.
On Day 2, I was on a day-long photo workshop. Unexpectedly, I found myself having to wade through a stream to get to a bank that was supposed to have some pretty good views (low clouds and the threat of rain had us turning around rather quickly). With these shoes, I was able to cross without having to remove them and I was confident I wouldn’t slip in them OR stump my toe.
I used to not be as big of a Keen fan as I am now. Mostly it’s because I always thought the toe protector made my feet look clown-like. I think Keen is making these toe protectors a bit smaller so they don’t make my feet look so big.
The Newport H2s have an elastic draw cord to tighten them up (though once tightened, I haven’t ever had to adjust them).
The upper webbing has an odor-reducing anti-microbial shield that prevents stinky feet. My experience with smelly shoes is that this usually occurs in the footbed, not the uppers, but it’ll take some time for me to see how these hold up.
The nice thing about the Newport H2s is that they are machine washable, requiring just a bit of detergent and they can easily be air dried. Also great for travel for this reason 🙂
Most importantly? A great option if you’re interested in traveling with just one pair of shoes!
Available on Amazon for less than $60.
Travel Well,
Beth
Related links:
Jackie Shoes from Ahnu
Heh, I pinned this to my Honeymoon Travel Shoes Pinterest board. 😀
No way. You do NOT have a Honeymoon Travel Shoes Pinterest board!
Agreed! For the one shoe wonder for adventure trips, Keen is it!
These Keen sandals are my favorite shoe, & once I discovered Keen, nothing has ever compared. For a lifelong shoe-aholic, becoming a one-shoe woman is strange, yet freeing. Thanks for sharing the love!
Yeah for Keens! Our first Keens journey was in 2007 and we’ve never looked back since! We travel light so the only shoes are those on our feet. Keens walked the Great Wall, jumped rain puddles in NYC (amazing how Keen sandals keep feet relatively dry in pouring rain), negotiated hot geisers on Iceland, meandered Mexican beaches, and danced salsa rhythms in Havana! I travel with a skirt long enough to discreetly hide my Keens when going to more elegant events, such as the opera in Santiago! Our Keens adventure continues …..
Hey! Just wanted you to know that I just read today that if you leave the shoes out in the sun for 30 minutes it rids the foot bed of any odor.
GREAT to know. Will now be waiting for the sun to shine in Seattle 🙂
My pair came in very handy in Morocco when I was out in the steppes and sands of the Sahara and in mountain streams the same day. Comfortable, sturdy and durable I plan on taking them on my next trip.