Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsAbsolute Winner! Very comfortable and well made.
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2021
I purchased 4 pairs of Keen Women’s size 9 closed toe sandals to compare. I chose the SOLR High Performance Sport Closed Toe Water Sandal, Black/Steel Grey, the Newport Retro-w Sport Sandal, Original tie dye, the Venice H2 Sandal, Black/Neutral Gray and the Ravine H2 Black/ Dawn Pink. I am planning a vacation trip to Portugal and I wanted to be able to reduce the number of shoes I planned on packing. I have a pair of Keen’s hiking boots and I already know how much I like them. I wanted something that would stand up as well as a hiking boot but weigh less like a tennis shoe for a lot of walking. I wanted something that I could wear to the beach and get in the water. I wanted something that was casual and might go with some of my summer dresses. Finally I was hoping that if the shoe was water proof it might also serve as a shower shoe. So to recap, I am looking for one shoe to rule them all, hiking boots, tennis shoes, sandals, water shoes, shower shoes and a casual summer dress shoe. I know it is a tall order but just think of how much room I will save in my bag. An additional constraints that I have that play into my decision are that I have a AAA foot and AAAA heel. The Keen hiking boots I have wear are a little wide and a little short but they were a better fit than any other boot I found which makes me happy. With the boots I can add inserts, with sandals that is not going to be an option. I have also previously broken my ankle in several places and had several operations on it. I do better in a shoe with at least a little higher in the heel than the toe. I can also be sensitive right under the bone on the inside of the ankle.
I loved the rainbow color of the tie dye shoe. It was the only model that offered the rainbow. I have to tell you know I wanted the tie dye shoe to be the winner just because of the color. Some of the other models do offer a variety of colors to choose from just not rainbow.
I was looking forward to trying on the Ravine H2. It is the only one of the four that has an adjustable heel strap. I have not had a sandal with an adjustable heel but my husband has several pairs of sandals with the adjustable heel and he raves about them. I was hoping that it would help make the shoe fit more securely and not slide around. The adjustable strap did give a good fit on the heel. It was the first shoe I tried on and if it had been the only shoe I tried on I would have loved it. In the end the adjustable strap was one of the main reasons I did not choose it. I was thick and hard. The other 3 models all had very soft and comfortable heel straps. The SOLR Sandal looks like it might be adjustable in the heel but it is not. The Ravine H2 is the only one with an adjustable heel. If this is important to you this is the choice for you. Keep in mind it wasn’t uncomfortable it just wasn’t as comfortable and in the end I did not feel like it offered the benefits I needed over the comfort.
The next big thing I was looking for was whether I could secure the shoe enough that it didn’t slip around on my foot. I did wear a pair of extra thin socks when trying them on and I will most likely wear them with socks when out and about but not at the beach. The Ravine H2 and the Venice H2 did not lace up as snuggly as I was wanting on my foot. I think for the average foot they would have been great. The SOLR and the Newport Retro both felt very snug around my foot with a much better ability to lace up. This being said I think that both the Ravine H2 and the Venice H2 have more breathing room but they all are pretty open.
In the end the Newport Retro rubbed right on my scar on my ankle that ruled it out immediately. My favorite looking pair was eliminated due to an old injury. Both of the H2 models did not feel snug enough on my feet and the Ravine H2 heel strap was not as comfortable. I have been wearing the SOLR sandal for a couple of days now and they are wonderful. I can loosen up the lacing (elastic) and wear them as slip ons around the house or tighten them up for some real walking. When loosened up they are sure to be very comfortable on a medium size foot and I could see a wide foot being comfortable. There is a lot of stretch in the neoprene type fabric used in the shoes
There are several features that I passed over that were present in all of the shoes. Every last one of them was comfortable. I am sure the Newport Retro would be wonderful for everyone without a scar in that particular place. Even though the Ravine H2 was comfortable I just liked the SOLR better. All of the soles had different treads but they all had a ….?micro perforation that is not visible until the sole is bent and then it opens up to provide better flexibility. I looked at the stitching and connection points on all of them and they appear to be really well made. I give them all 5 stars.
I hope this helped you so you don’t need to buy four pairs of shoes. All of the models are great picks.
