KEEN Women's Alamosa Waterproof Hiking Shoe

Comfort is subjective and what each of us considers "comfortable" really depends in large part on what we're used to. I'm used to New Balance shoes, and my current NB WW928 walking shoes, along with the extra Dr Scholls insoles that I add to all my shoes, are supremely comfortable. They are my every day shoes. I run errands in them as well as walk the dogs on the uneven trails/terrain twice daily. Unfortunately, they are not waterproof and the bottom also lacks grip, so they're not appropriate for walking in rainy, wet, or muddy situations.If my NB shoes are a 5 out of 5 in comfort level, then the Keen Alamosas are about a 3. Even with the extra Dr Scholls insoles, I find them to lack the cushion I'm used to so they actually aggravate my chronic lower back pain just a bit. Not too bad but they definitely lack the "aaahhhhhh" factor. I would not consider wearing these as every day shoes, especially at the price. For $100, you can get NB shoes that are way more comfortable for daily wear.But as more "hard-core" shoes, these definitely fit the bill. They are *mostly* waterproof which is a huge benefit. It's surprising how hard it is to find truly waterproof shoes. I tried a couple that were advertised as waterproof but in fact were only waterproof in certain areas, and the areas that were not waterproof resulted in my whole foot eventually getting soaked anyway. The Keens are mostly waterproof as I've walked in rain as well as in tall wet grass that would have my socks soaking wet in regular shoes. However, they aren't 100% waterproof because if I walk in a lot of wetness, afterward when I take off the shoes, I can feel the inside is wet. I wear gaiters over the shoes so that any openings are completely covered, meaning that the insides aren't getting wet because water has entered the shoe through the opening on top. Rather, the water is seeping through to the inside through the outside.For occasional wetness, like if you're walking on dry ground but step in a big puddle, the inside of the shoes would stay completely dry. But if you're walking in rain or in tall grass after heavy rainfall, where there is consistent wetness, then eventually the moisture is going to soak through to the inside of the shoe. My socks stay dry for the most part, though not completely--they aren't wet but more like just damp enough to be cold. I wear merino wool socks so they are thick. I'm not sure how thinner socks would fare.I also own a pair of real hiking boots from Cabela's. By "real", I mean those big clunky, ankle-high boots for extreme hiking. I bought them for their waterproof properties but they are so heavy, so clunky and so uncomfortable that I just never wanted to wear them. Given how incredibly light-weight and hassle-free the Keens are, I give them 5 stars for how rugged they can be.A few things to note about these shoes that are not obvious in the product description:- The "tongue" flap on top is really short. All the lacing you see is really just mostly visual. These shoes are actually more like slip-ons, so there isn't as much room of adjustment as far as loosening or tightening goes.- They feel squatter than most shoes, meaning the space for the front part of your feet isn't as high. As a result, when I add the extra Dr Scholls insoles, they cause the shoes to be more snug against the top of my feet than I like. If I didn't add the extra insoles, then it wouldn't bother me at all, but I MUST have my Dr Scholls. It's a trade-off I guess.- Related to the above, I wonder if these might be not be first quality shoes. The first pair I ordered via Amazon had an irregular piece of cushioning protruding on the inside of the upper part of the right shoe so it dug into the top of my right foot. Not painful or anything, just annoying. I mean, it felt like what was--something protruding from the shoe. When I reached in to feel it with my fingers, I could definitely tell a difference between the right shoe and the left shoe. The left shoe had a more even feel in the cushioning whereas the right had this half-circular piece that stuck out. So I returned that pair and ordered a new pair. Both sides of the new pair were fine in that aspect, but I am noticing that the left shoe is tighter against the top of my foot than the right shoe. I would have kept the left shoe from the first pair and the right shoe from the 2nd pair, except they were different colors.- I usually wear size 7.5, but 8 fit me in these shoes.Overall, I wouldn't recommend these for normal every day use because they lack the comfort that you can find in other similarly priced shoes. But when you need waterproof (mostly) shoes, or light/moderate hiking shoes, these are fantastic.

I purchased my normal size shoe when I ordered these. Was very disappointed! I expected that they would be a bit snug in the width but I could barely get these on at all. I only felt extreme pain just trying to get them on. Either they sized it wrong, or the shoe is very odd. I returned them and before I buy again I will try them on locally to determine if my size needs to go up for this style shoe.

I have loved every pair of Keens I have ever worn. My son loves his too. We live in NZ now (recent transplants from the US) and we do loads of hiking and tramping. After finally wearing out my last pair of keens (the uppers were still fine, the very worn tread was just slick), I needed to get a new pair. These shoes look just like the picture and are well made. The problem is that they are narrow for a Keen shoe. While pregnant the forefront of my foot spread a bit and the heel remained narrow-ish. Keens have always done the trick for me. Unfortunately, this did not have the signature wider toe box, and it was a big enough pinch that stretching leather wasn't going to resolve the issue. Really disappointed as I need a waterproof trail shoe for the stream hiking found on many of the trails here in NZ. Just a nother note: these are tie laces, not quick strecthy laces like some Keens. It says that in the description, but it's hard to tell in the picture I think. Wasn't a big deal to me, just wanted to put it in here for other buyers.

Having read the reviews for this shoe and another brand, I ordered two sizes, my normal 8.5 and 9 - within a few moments of trying them on, I knew the 9 was the right choice - just as other reviews had suggested. The 8.5 fit, but once I put the 9 on my other foot for comparison, I noticed how much more comfortable the toe box was on the 9. Today, I wore them on my usual 2 mile morning walk on varying terrain - and since we had heavy rain the night before, I had the chance to evaluate the waterproofing - it passed with flying colors.I used a lightweight hiking sock and was well pleased with my foot comfort throughout. Because the shoe laces up to cover so much of the foot, I found there was no heel slip and the part below my ankle (which on other shoes hit my ankle with each stride) remained in place throughout my walk. When I arrived back home and took off the shoes, after about 40 minutes, the upper was already dry...The shoe is a little heavier than my NIke Cross-trainers, but that is to be expected - they are, however, MUCH lighter than other hiking shoes I have tried.I was also well pleased with the ease of returning the smaller sized pair - within 1 hour of receiving the two pair, I had determined which one to keep, had gone through the Amazon return process and dropped the shoes off at UPS to be sent on their way back.This has been a very pleasant shopping experience for an item that is usually difficult to get a proper fit in when using on-line ordering.

The Keen Alamosa used to be my favorite hiking shoe. I do quite a bit of hiking in the Rockies, and this was my go-to shoe for day hikes and backpacking trips. Then they discontinued them and it's been hard to find the last few lurking out there. So I ordered this pair, and they just don't fit the same. I really think, after trying 3 other Keen styles in the last year, that they have changed something about either the fit or the quality of their shoes. I used to be able to order any Keen shoes in a size 8 and know that it would fit right the first time, no break-in period. That just hasn't been the case recently, including these shoes. The toe box actually feels smaller than the other pair I own, and the heel has a funny bump that pushes my foot out when I'm walking. I'll keep them around for mucking around in the garden, but I can't wear them on the trail. I need to find a new favorite hiking shoe, because Keens aren't cutting it anymore.