First, I'm a pretty dedicated Keen wearer, and have three pairs already. My older pairs, a nearly 8 year old Whisper and the 5 year old Rose, are still going strong, but with so many miles on them that the soles are getting worn down and a bit slicker, so I decided to get some new Keens for a trip that will involved caving, tubing, snorkeling, hiking and more. I compared three new pairs to my older pairs. What I really wanted to know, and couldn't find, was a weight comparison, so hey, I did it for myself and am sharing it with others. Note that I wear a women's 9.5 shoe, so weight is based on that, and my foot is a normal width. I tried the Drift H2 closed toe sandal, the Zerraport 2, and the Newport H2., and compared them in weight and comfort to my older sandals (whisper and rose). Weights are for one shoe. These, Zerraport 2: I liked the look of these best. I think they're kind of cute/ugly, with the big soles and the minimal strapping, and I also figured these might drain the easiest--water, or sand or whatever. I got the Rose black combo, which is fun and bright. These are described as "lightweight" though they are not as lightweight as some of the other models (but definitely lighter than the Newports). They weight 297 grams (10.4 oz) per sandal and while I could feel the slight difference in weight holding these in my hands, the difference in weight between these and the other styles is not huge, so if you're not going to have to swim in them, maybe the difference won't matter much to you. My husband thinks they are far uglier than the Drift, but I disagree: I like them. However, they are not nearly as comfortable as the Drift, and I'm not entirely sure they fit right: I wondered if I could go down to a 9 in them. They seem quite beefy to me, more like the Newport than the Drift in the sole, and my foot slides forward in them and hits the toe bumper. It may be that I just haven't adjusted them right yet, but my guess is that they are going to have to go back too, though I'm tempted to keep them for non-swimming activities. Still on the fence about these. I like the Drift H2 the best, and will likely keep them. These were the lightest, coming in at 233 grams (8.2 oz). They wear very much like my very old and battered Whisper sandal (though the whisper is heavier at 9.8 oz). They also fit like the Whisper, except that I find that the Drift has more of tongue than the Whisper which is not a bad thing: It was really easy to get these on and off and the tongue thing was flexible and felt comfortable. After putting these on, I didn't want to take them off! I haven't tried them in water yet--or in my cave adventure that involves swimming into the cave mouth, but I assume they will perform as well as the whisper did when it was new. And the rhubarb jam is a pinkish red that is very appealing in color. They may not be the most attractive, but they're basic Keen style and should be really functional. Newport H2 were my least favorite. I took them out of the box and immediately felt the weight, plus they looked giant (and they were--they didn't fit. Every pair of Keens I own is 9.5 but these were so big if I tried to size down, I might go to an 8.5. They also fit quite wide on my feet, more like crocs than keens. But the big thing was the weight: they were the heaviest of all the water sandals at 12.4 oz (351 grams) for one shoe! I felt like I was wearing (heavy) tires on my feet. No thanks! They are going right back. The tie dye color was fun though! I compared them to my old Keens. The Whisper (very old version!) I have is 278 gm (9.8 oz). These shoes have been wildly durable and felt great on my feet in all circumstances, though they are somewhat slow to dry. Great to hike in, and were quite steady on the trail til they got old. The Rose I wear mostly around town, even to work, and are great travel shoes that can be dressed up or down. They weight 242 g (8.55 oz) per shoe, and aren't quite as grippy, but they also are more everyday sandals to me, not trekking sandals. Super cute, and I get tons of compliments on them. I'll probably buy another pair when these finally give it up. I do wish Keen included weight everywhere and a comparison chart perhaps, as weight mattered quite a bit to me, as I travel only with a carryon. Also, I wanted to know if I was going to be putting anchors on my feet or something lighter for cave swimming. I'm sure I'm not the only person who wanted to know, so here you go!
