hills27

I hiked all over Peru with my Salomon Karmas; they worked great. I wish I had them in Costa Rica. I wore a pair of Salomon sandals. Love them, but almost killed myself hiking along and through a stream with them on.

Suzie2

Hopefulist,

Have you worn your Vasque hiking boots in a wet area yet?

Before I did the High Sierra hike I bought a pair of lightweight Vasque hiking boots with goretex. My husband had been wearing Vasque leather boots for everyday wear for years and loved them. They were so comfortable but in breaking them in I noticed that they seemed slippery if they got wet. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to check them out again in a wet situation before leaving.

I almost ended up at the bottom of the mountain when I finally went on the trip. I had to step on a rock while going across a stream right where the mountain drops off. There was some water on the rock and my feet went right out from under me and I couldn't get a foothold again. Fortunately my son and another guy were right there and caught me. Those Vasque boots came off immediately and my Salomon's went on and stayed on. I haven't worn my Vasques since which is a shame because they cost a lot.

I really am going to have to check out those Karmas.

Suzie2

Hey those Karmas look pretty good. A lot prettier than the Tech amphibians too!

trhggr,
Somebody has got to be the first!

haydencat,
Comfort is the key. I haven't tried the Keens so can't knock them. Everyone seems to really like those as well. I just happened to try the Solomon's first and fell in love with them. I wouldn't bother with a pair of hiking boots if you do get a pair of all purpose shoes. I do bring a pair of sandals for the end of the day when I change for dinner.

hopefulist

I haven't tested the Vasques like you did (!) but have worn them for light hiking in all weather here in the Pacific NW, so far so good. Thanks for the heads up - I'll be sure to test them well on wet rocks before I make my final decision. Happy trails!

TC

Another vote for my Keen H2Os. I also have a pair of Chaco's that are great. Chaco's give a perfect fit on almost any foot and the sole can be specified for different activities. They dry very quickly. I've worn them through the mud in Tahiti and they washed up and dried like a dream.

http://www.chacousa.com/

CRIdo

We took several shoes on our recent CR trip:
Me -- flip flops, Salomon XA Comp 2 (trail runner shoes, on sale at REI $54), Keen Boulder (ebay $25)

DH -- Crocs, Salomon Canyon Mid GTX (gortex lined hikers, he needs the ankle support, on sale at REI $45), Merrell water sneakers

Accept for lounging around we pretty much both wore our Salomons everywhere & absolutely LOVED them -- my DH tends to get sore feet walking just short distances, but over the 3+wks we were in CR, walking, hiking, climbing he never complained once & now I'm having a hard time going back to my other shoes for work & home...love those Salomons! Only wore thin ankle socks under them

We were in CR during the dry season, if we went back in the wet season I'd probably get Salomon Amphitechs (this is what Phillip, the biologist at Bosque del Cabo, was sporting)

airwayvz

My Teva Gammas worked great every time in CR. The main issue you're gonna have is that even if they are "water" shoes - like the Teva Gammas - ANY shoe that gets wet will have a hard time drying out, because of the humid climate.

That said, my Teva Gammas were a comfortable damp all trip last time...worked great for kayaking shoes, in fact I think that's what they were made to do.

With the activities you've listed any pair of similar shoes should be fine...you shouldn't need big hiking boots, in my opinion.

haydencat

My husband and I went to REI this weekend and tried on shoes. He ended up with a pair of Salomon Tech Amphibians. I didn't purchase anything yet, because I'm still on the fence.

The Keen Newport H20s felt the most comfortable and sturdy (I climbed around on the little fake boulders they have in the store). However, I felt like I was wearing clown shoes -- the toe box is so huge! The Salomon Tech Amphibians felt fine, not as sturdy or comfortable as the Keens, but lighter and much cuter-looking.

I'm leaning towards the Salomons, only because I like that they are more sneaker-like and I think I will wear them more after my trip than I would the Keens. They're also cheaper.

bumblev

I couldn't resist! DH and I just bought some Salomons and I'm passing the word onto my Mom. What a great price!

dpruitt

I took TechAmphibians, hiking boots, flip flops and Keens to Costa Rica. I wore my Keens almost the whole time. They allowed my feet to breathe and since the part that touches your foot is rubber, it dries very quickly. The tech amphibians don't dry as quickly - especially if your feet are still in them. I wore them into the ocean, when we went on jungle hikes, etc. They were perfect for exploring the rocks in Samara, hiking to a waterfall in Puerto Viejo, and almost everything in between.

The tech amphibians are great, but when I wore them camping, they took FOREVER to dry.

If I had to take only ONE pair of shoes on our next trip to CR, it would be the Keens.

hills27

Just thought I'd add that my Salomon Karmas dry a lot faster than my mom's Salomon Techamphibians. More plastic, less fabric.

hipvirgochick

haydencat - Regarding price, if you are still having a tough time deciding, don't forget about kids sizes. Nordstrom kid's Keen H2O's are about $50 and a 6 is a women's 8. The shoe might be slightly different, I don't really know, but that's the way I went.

cmerrell

Hi guys,

For the Keen enthusiasts: did you buy half a size larger than you normally wear? I'm also in the market for some shoes to take to CR this year and thought I might try the Keens (Newport or Venice). I read a bunch of reviews on the zappos site where people recommended going up half a size. I usually wear a size 6, but sometimes 5.5 works better for me. Any recommendations on what size I should order?

Also, in case I flip/flop at the last minute (it could happen ), do the Soloman Tech Amphibians run true to size?

Many thanks!

kencolian

Hi, I did not order as size up. Used regular size for my keens. I did find childrens size 7 for my son at Zappo's last year and they were significantly less than adult prices.

tully

Not sure if there is a big difference btwn the Tech & Pro Tech but my pro techs run true to size. In fact I was going to a 1/2 size larger but they were out of 8's so got my normal size and they're perfect.

hopefulist

The H2Os and Venice Keens fit differently but I wear my usual size in both. I've had my 1st pair of H2Os for more than 4 years. I bought them for rafting (always barking my toes with regular rafting sandals) and found them to be so comfortable I wear them almost every day to work. I've hiked hundreds of miles in multiple countries in addition to rafting regularly in the summers and they still clean up like new. The traction on that pair isn't what it used to be, though - the tread's worn down.
Happy trails!

emmajm

My tech amphibians ran true to size, and I like them a lot with thin socks. I tried Keens once and they did run small, I had to return them. Unfortunately I have the feet of someone 6 inches taller than me, and they got longer with each of my children. I'm now an eleven, and that's Keens top size. I'm sorry, because they are cute shoes.

Isn't it interesting that shoes provoke the most replies?

cmerrell

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

Emmajm, it is funny that posts about shoes get so much traffic. I know at least one male answered the original post, but I wonder how many of the rest of us are women? ;-)

ShellD

I just got my Keens and I went up a half size. I felt like my big toes were rubbing the top of the shoe in my regular size. I think because the rubber, or plastic, that sits above your toes is so stiff, my toes felt like they were touching it. It's not soft like a sneaker would be. The salesperson told me that was pretty common, that most people go up a half size. But my husband got his regular size - so go figure! I wish I would have thought about the kids sizes! That's a great idea!!

We leave two weeks from Friday!!! Now I'm looking at luggage - as if I need to spend more money!

lucid696

I'm a guy and I've been following this post for the past week -- I'm headed to the Osa at the end of this month and I'm looking to avoid ruining another pair of shoes. Last year I ruined a pair of Nikes in Belize (it was well worth it, of course!)

I have already ordered the Salomon Karmas, but hope they fit -- true to size is a little fuzzy after wearing Nikes for so long.

If they don't, I'll probably opt for some Keens and give them a shot! Keep up the replies, the advice really helps!