Backpacker Magazine – August 2011

Gear Review: Keen Alamosa Hiking Boot

These cushy dayhikers are perfect for hiking with light loads.

by: Annette McGivney

Tags:
• Hiking boots
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• Gear
|

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[best dayhiker]
King of comfort, the Alamosa was the shoe most testers reached for when not carrying a load. “No pressure on my toes or the sides of my feet,” says one ranger who wore it on repeated trips down the steep South Kaibab Trail. The toebox is spacious, the midfoot is snug, and the lacing system connects to webbing straps that suck the heel back into the heel cup to eliminate movement and friction. The midsole combines a heel-to-arch TPU shank that supports the foot, spongy EVA in the forefoot, and a double-density EVA insert under the heel for impact absorption.

Yet the sole is flexier than average in this test, and for most testers it didn’t offer enough support for more than light weekend loads. “By the end of the rocky, 12-mile off-trail hike to Ribbon Falls with a 35-pound pack, my feet were weary,” says one tester. The 1.8-mm-thick nubuck leather upper proved sturdy, but the proprietary rubber outsole showed wear after about 150 miles of canyon abuse. Best for mid- to high-volume feet.

Price $100
Weight 1 lb. 15 oz. 
Sizes men’s 7-15; women’s 5-11
Info keenfootwear.com


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