# Anybody try Keen Cycling Shoes?



## ~gomez~ (Sep 26, 2006)

I like their regular shoes, but i'm wondering if anyone has tried the Keen Springwater shoes.


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## sdf1968 (Mar 7, 2007)

I have had mine for about a month now and I really like them. If you went to look at them then you know they are heavy if that matters to you. About 1 pound each. I did not like the looks of them really when I first looked at them but not a whole lot of cycling clothing will win you any fashion awards. The trails I ride are pretty rocky and always with hike a bike sections. I wanted a comfortable shoe for these hike a bike sections. These are comfortable. I can't say that enough. I have not ridden with these shoes on any 8 hour marathon rides yet but other shoes I have tried were uncomfortable in a couple of hours. I looked at a few other types of mtb shoes that had laces like Pearl Izumi and I did not like the looks of the uppers. They did not look very durable, especially for things like the occasional boulder field. The Keen uppers look very well made and durable. Can't say how durable with the short time I have had them. I had a pair of Shimano shoes early in the year and the sole ripped away from the upper. I paid $90 for those, so when I took them back to REI the $40 upgrade to the Keens was not as bad. I also have not had a chance to try cold weather rides yet. Mostly in the 40's. I did ride yesterday and my feet were warm for the uphill but a 10 minute downhill and my feet were pretty cold and it was about 34 degrees with 20 MPH winds. I started to think about the toe warmers but I have not tried them to see how well they fit in the shoe. 
Bottom line. If you are a weight weenie, racer, stiff as a board sole type rider, these are not for you. If you ride trails where you get off the bike and push for a while, and you want your feet to feel good at the end of the day then these might be the ones.


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## Felton_Flyer (Dec 11, 2008)

thanks for your review. i'm also considering the Keens. I have a few other Keen shoes - the clogs and some boots which I think are fantastic quality and very comfortable. 

I do know some guys that don't like the wider foot bed in the Keens. Oh well, shoes - everyone has a preference.

they are pricey at $130 for what is certainly a heavy shoe, but Keens are a quality product - I've never had a pair of Keens that fell apart. 

Anyway - I'm a Sidi fanatic for cycling shoes, but after breaking my big toe (twice!) and pulling my toenail off on one painful ride - I'm thinking the protected Keen toe box is worth a try ... think I'll pick up a pair!


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## KevinB (Oct 5, 2004)

I bought a pair of Keen Springwater shoes in early November. Thus far, I'm not really liking them. Maybe I'll like them more when (or if!) I break them in some more.

I have Speedplay Frog cleats mounted on the bottom of the shoes. The cleats fit fine and, when walking in the shoe, the cleat is sufficiently recessed so as not to make contact with the ground. Seated pedaling is okay with both the cleat and the shoe. The problem I have with this combo is that, when riding out of the saddle, there's significantly more pressure on my foot in the cleat area of the shoe than I'm accustomed to. Also, when riding out of the saddle, I feel additional pressure in the pinky toe area of the foot.

These shoes have a significant arch support, more support in fact than to which I'm accustomed. The bottom of my foot feels numb after a time, almost as if the blood flow is being cut off or restricted by the arch support. Moreover, after using these shoes for perhaps two weeks, I felt like I was developing a case of plantar fasciitis.

I've switched back to my old shoes, a beat up pair of Cannondale Roam shoes, to give my feet a break. Since reverting to using my old shoes, my feet feel better. I really ought to give the Keen Springwater's another chance, but, at the moment, I really don't like the way they feel.


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## KevinB (Oct 5, 2004)

Felton_Flyer said:


> Anyway - I'm a Sidi fanatic for cycling shoes, but after breaking my big toe (twice!) and pulling my toenail off on one painful ride - I'm thinking the protected Keen toe box is worth a try ... think I'll pick up a pair!


The Keen Springwaters do have a very protected toe box. I have a pair of Sidis too, but, after getting whacked in the toe a few too many times by rocks, I don't wear them much anymore.


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## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

Interesting.

I have a pair of the sandals with cleats and love them. If those fit like normal Keens, then I am interested. I love how Keens fit.

If those are anything like the sandal version, they are a lot narrower than the standard Keen.


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## ~martini~ (Dec 20, 2003)

generally, I like the way Keens fit and feel as I wear them. In the end though, I burn through them quickly. I've found them to wear out quicker than other shoes I've had. YMMV on the cycling shoes though, as they generally aren't every day wearers.


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## 11 Bravo (Mar 12, 2004)

I tried a pair on this past summer and walked around the store in them for about 10 minutes. Not a very good test, but I really didn't like the way they fit. They felt like they didn't have much support. I don't really know how to describe it other than to say they felt bulky, kind of like slippers. I thought they were noticeably heavy.

I have been riding SIDI Dominator 5s for about 3 years, so I am used to a stiff snug fitting shoe. Probably not surprising that they did not feel right. I was looking at them because I wanted to get a shoe that would be better for hike-a-bike stuff. I decided to keep looking for a while and haven't bought anything yet.

I would say definitely try them on before buying them. If you could actually get a chance to ride in them that would be even better. The way shoes fit and feel is a very individual thing.


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## onlycrimson (Nov 11, 2008)

My cousin bought a pair and I rode in them. They are a little heavy, but really sturdy.


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## bear (Feb 3, 2004)

I have a traditional problem of wearing hard on footwear. The combination of high-mileage and fair amounts of hike-a-bike tend to be hard on the stuff. Traditionally I get about 1 season on a pair of shoes and try to stick to shoes under $150, or under $100 if I can.

At the beginning of '09 I had gotten a pair of Mavic Chasm shoes, they're made by Soloman and while much more expensive than my usual they hit all the right marks formy TX riding and I gave them a shot. They felt and rode wonderfully but by the end of March (with about 1000 MTB miles on the bike, and one AZSF trip) my feet were still happy but the outsole was almost "sanded" completely off on the fore-foot, and I ended up buying a pair of the Keens. I still have the Mavics, if I can get the one strap replaces they'll make great summer road riding shoes (they're lighter 'n stink).

I've been riding them constantly since then (well, until my last couple rides where I switched to my winter riding boots for the NE-PA cold+wet).

I agree they're not the lightest, but these are the first pair of shoes that look to being able to MAYBE go more than one season. With approaching 1800 miles of riding on them the outsoles and uppers are still in great shape. The velcro is still working fine. There are only two nit-picks, and they are probably person-specific in problem origin.

The longest ride I've done on these shoes distance-wise is a bit over 80 miles, the longest ride I've done time-wise is a bit over 11 hours. I generally wear high-quality wool-based socks ( Swiftwick, Smartwool, or Thorlo ).

1. The strap that goes around the heel has worn through and broken. It's not replacable, so I cut the "clingons" off. This makes the back of the shoe marginally less "tight" but doesn't seem to be a problem. Yet.

2. The upper-most strap's metal loop has rotated where it's attached to the shoe and doesn't provide the best feel across the instep. This has only happened on my right shoe, not the left. Someone with lower arches/instep would likely not have this problem - mine are higher than average for my foot size.

3. The insole wasn't bad, but wasn't my favorite. I put some SuperFeet in and have Foot Bliss.


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## o'thehill (Oct 13, 2013)

*Liked the Springwaters, but not convinced Keen know how to make a bike shoe yet.*

I bought a pair recently. Wore them for about 20 days riding in Fruita and Moab. For me they were comfortable, worked for longer rides too, and were great for any hike-a-bike sections. As one other reviewer noted, they are heavy -- but that is part of their comfort and protection. However, the bad news was that after about 2 weeks use the the plate that the spd screws into cracked. So far they are still rideable but I'm pretty sure it is just a matter of time before I have to return them. Too bad as I quite like riding with them.


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