As part of my job here at Tom's Guide, I test a lot of the best hiking shoes. This is one of my favorite aspects of the job — I love hiking and I love shoes, so it makes sense. Last year, I reviewed the Keen Hyperport H2, self-described as the "ugliest sandals in the world," and I spent most of the winter looking forward to wearing them again.
Now summer is officially here, it's my Hyperports' time to shine. I've brought them back out, and I'm ready to rock the so-ugly-they're-kinda-cute sandals until September.
The Hyperports aren't just about comfort, though. They're super practical, with grippy soles, a quick-dry upper, adjustable elastic straps, and supreme comfort. You could wear these on every hike during the summer months — and your feet would thank you for it.
All summer it's the Hyperport H2
As the Keen Hyperport H2 were designed as "water sandals," they dry super quickly. I dunked the sandals in water, and they took two hours to dry completely at normal room temperature. If you're donning them at the beach or in otherwise hot weather, they'd likely take much less time.
Although I wouldn't describe them as water-resistant — when they get wet, they get wet — they take much, much less time to dry than other options. If you're looking for some river shoes, I'd recommend the Hyperport H2 over Teva sandals. The Keens' closed-toe design stops little rocks and debris from drifting into your shoe.
I've also worn the Hyperport H2 as straight hiking sandals, which they're perfect for. The injected foam rubber sole is bouncy and lightweight, plus the siping (tiny grooves in the sole) makes them ideal for traversing tricky trails and wet slopes.
I wore the Hyperports most of last summer and a few times this year, and I didn't slip once — coming from one of the clumsiest people ever to stumble across this Earth, that's high praise. This is likely due to the wide toe box, which allows your toes to splay and helps you balance better.
Thanks to the webbed upper, the Hyperports are super breathable. I never felt like my feet were overheating last summer, which is why I struggle to wear sneakers or standard hiking shoes during the warmer months.
I still wear them in winter, too
When it's rainy and cold out, I can't wear my open sandals. I can, however, wear them inside. I use my Keen Hyperport H2s as my WalkingPad shoes — so when I'm working and walking on my DeerRun Q1, I don my Keens.
I find walking barefoot makes my arches ache, and my Hyperports are the most comfortable shoes I wear. So I slip them on, set my indoor treadmill to "Go," and get walking! The most I've ever walked on my indoor treadmill was 14,000 steps — and my feet didn't ache at all thanks to my Hyperports.
If you couldn't tell, I love pretty much everything about these shoes. I wore them almost every day last summer, and I can already feel that I'm going to do the exact same this year.
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