Reviewed by David Niddrie
I first caught sight of these beefed up flip-flops on the toes of a few Pleasant Revolutionaries when they rode up the west coast for the Bicycle Music Festival last summer. The ingenious design featuring Keen’s classic toe-cap seemed to make a lot of sense to me for warmer riding. For summer footwear, breathability is the draw and the Waimea Leather has that in spades. Unlike your regular beach flip-flops, this sole is quite stiff, making for a decent pedal platform on longer rides. It’s really nice knowing the front line – the tips of your toes – is shielded from road debris, or stubbing on a curb for that matter.
Although the sandals have a leather upper, Keen claims they are machine washable and the leather won’t crack or stretch. I haven’t made them dirty enough to try it, but a good wipe is all you’d really need to do in most circumstances. I found the fit to be a tad loose on the uppers and, because of that, the stiffness and rounded edges of the sole were not the most forgiving if prone to ankle rolls (as apparently I am with these). My biggest complaint is the middle bit of rubber you slip between your toe is rather thick and becomes an underlying discomfort. My toes just aren’t made to stay apart like that.
Other than that, the design and construction is sound and made to last. Although Keen does not promote these sandals as specifically bike-friendly, I think they made these sandals safe for riding. If warmer weather riding is in the forecast, you might want to try a pair.
Overall rating: ****
Value: ****
Style Points: ****
Quality/ Durability: ***1/2
Star Ranking
1 star – Not recommended
2 stars – Not quite there yet
3 stars – Serviceable – with room to improve
4 stars – Tell your friends
5 stars – Near perfection
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