Keen Newport H2 - A Sandal for Adventure Racing?
Rob Howard / 14.10.2015
This year’s AR World Championships is in Pantanal, a wetland area of Brazil, and it’s rare now to have an adventure race which does not include coasteering or canyoning, often mixed with trekking. Aside from paddling there are other water based disciplines too, rafting, pack-rafting, swimming and SUP more commonly now, sometimes sailing or rowing, and on regular paddles its common enough to have to portage or man-handle the boat in shallows.
The choice of footwear for this smorgasbord of wet adventurous activities in adventure racing is the trainer, despite the potential for sodden footwear and socks leading to debilitating foot problems later on. I wondered if there was an alternative in the adventure/outdoor sandals market and you can look a long way back for a precedent. The Romans conquered much of Europe wearing them summer and winter … so maybe it’s not such an innovative idea.
It’s an idea Keen have lead the way in developing and I’ve been taking a look at the Keen Newport H2, one of their core products in recent years, which is part sandal, part trainer. The company has developed a range of models with ultra strong protective toe boxes combined with footbeds, midsoles, shanks and soles that would not look out of place on a trainer, but on open heeled sandals that won’t hold water and let the air flow when on dry land.
The Newport H2 is well established now as a top seller in this market for those looking for a more active profile and robust footwear. At first look they are very robust, from the dense rubber toe cap which allows you to kick rocks in comfort (should you need to vent), all the way back to the heel strap.
The open heel is one area of concern of multiuse as the last thing you’d want is a lifting heel causing blisters or allowing debris in, but the well shaped heel cup and lace capture system ensures this doesn’t happen. The sandal is quite tight to pull on, even at a half size bigger than your usual size (which Keen recommend), but it needs to be to stop movement within the sandal and the bungee lacing pulls in all the lateral uppers to hold the tongue and the whole sandal snugly.
Under the foot the well shaped footbed allows for a comfortable fit, while the midsole is firm enough for trekking/running some distance and reports and reviews from guides and travellers worldwide suggest the sole has sufficient grip for use in most conditions. There are limits of course, it’s not the footwear for mountain trekking with a heavy pack or bushbash orienteering, but for times when you are in and out of the water, mixing trekking, running and swimming it’s a compromise to consider.
The obvious disadvantage is that wearing a sandal means grit and debris could get in under the foot and has to be taken out before causing problems. The tight fit, raised edge of the footbed and the fact that the uppers do cover much of the upper foot mitigate against this, but it’s something to consider and weigh against the advantages of an open sandal in water.
The Newport H2’s are also slightly heavier than many trainers for swimming in at just over 800gms and not especially compact for a gear box either, but again that’s a trade-off against taking them and the robust support and flexibility they offer.
So, maybe it’s time to consider if the sandal has a place in adventure racing beyond making the post race shuffle a little more bearable, perhaps during this year’s World Champs? Maybe those Romans were onto something …?
You can find out more about the Newport H2 and its pricing in your part of the world at http://www.keenfootwear.com/en-gb/
