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Gear Photos

Keen Hood River Boot

Is it a sandal, a shoe, or a boot? Or maybe all of the above? You decide.

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The Keen Hood River Boot is the perfect footwear for the seasoned paddler or fisherman who finds themselves in toe-banging rocky situations, and does well as a normal duty trail shoe for long portages and side canyon hikes.

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Five drain holes on the bottom of each shoe–and several along the perimeter of the uppe–let water escape quickly, so I wasn’t walking around in water buckets on land!

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The Velcro strap gave my ankle some support and the above ankle cuff kept mud and pebbles out, but I was a little worried about ripping the reflective pulls on the front and back. These loops see a lot of stress, and I wish they were double stitched.

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If you’ve ever paddled in an estuary, you know that toe protection is a big deal with razor sharp oyster beds around. The rubber toe bumper and thick abrasion patches provide plenty of protection all the way around the shoe.

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While fishing the Little River, the low profile rubber sole (see photo 2 or the final photo) held onto slick, wet surfaces, and performed well on the algae-covered stones.

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In the normal muddy situations that come with canoeing, the Hood River did not get caked with mud pies on the sole, making for stumble-free, comfortable portages without having to change into different footwear.

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The Specs
$95
1lb. 12 oz. (men’s 10 size on BP scales)
Available sizes: M 7-17, W 5-12
Website: www.keenfootwear.com

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