Review # 72: Keen Voyageur Mid

Once I had a pair of lightweight hikers that I loved, except that they wore out too fast. So rather than replace them with another of the same, I took a chance and ordered these Keen Voyageur Mid shoes. Since Keen Newport sandals are my favorite comfort shoe ever, I had high hopes for these.

The review goes like this:

Keen Voyageur Mid is a lightweight hiker. The sides are vented so your feet don't get too hot. Still, throw a pair of warm socks on and they are fine for cold weather.
Like all Keens, they have the thick rubber toe bumper. Like most Keens they have a wide roomy toe box.
I have worn these a good bit over the last year  but I do not like them as much as I wish I did. Out of the box I wore them on short dog walking jaunts and they were comfie, gripping well on my gravel roads and in the inclimate weather. After a couple of weeks I went on a 4 mile walk and got the worst blisters I have ever had. Halfway through the walk I realized that I no longer had any skin left on the backs of my heels, but had to continue anyway. Ouch.
I bought bandaids, let my feet heal, then started wearing the Voyageurs again cautiously. Eventually they broke in, but they have never been the comfortable shoe I so hoped they would be. Now after a year, I find that my feet get tired in them. I still use them for very hilly rocky walks, but I am usually ready to pull them off my feet the first chance I get.
The Keen Voyageur Mids are not quite as flexible as I would like, and the foot bed is a bit harder than is comfortable for me. The heel/ankle is not soft or flexible which is why I got the blisters.
They are OK, I will wear them when I need to, but when it is time to replace them I will not be sad.
For me, Keen Voyageur Mid gets a 6.