REASONS TO BUY
Great foot and toe protection
Solid traction
Very secure fit
Tons of colors
Supportive
Comfortable
REASONS TO AVOID
Very limited adjustability
Challenging to get on and off
Narrow fit
Keen Newport H2 - Women's Review
A great choice for summer breathability while maintaining toe and foot protection, with a snug and supportive fit
The Keen Newport H2 offer great support and foot protection.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
RELATED: Best Sandals for Women of 2024
Our Verdict
The Keen Newport H2 is the sandal for folks who want more breathability than a shoe with socks but aren't ready to sacrifice the support and foot protection of a full shoe. Proudly proclaiming, “Meet the world's ugliest sandal,” Keen leans into the unique style of this pair while offering it in dozens of colors. Its secure fit and soft yet odor-resistant footbed provide staunch stability and solid traction, even with wet or sweaty feet. Their snug design does require more effort to pull on over your heel, and their only adjustment point is a bungee and toggle where your shoelaces would go. They're not the highest-performing sandal in any particular scenario, but they offer solid and reliable performance plus a level of foot protection that's unmatched by even the most similar-appearing look-alikes we tested.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Keen Newport H2 - Women's | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Sandals with the Best Foot Protection |  Best Overall Women's Sandals | Comfortable and Secure Yet Casual | Minimalist Straps but Adventure-Ready |  Best Value for Women's Sandals |
| Price | $59.83 at REI Compare at 4 sellers | $99.95 at Backcountry Compare at 4 sellers | $140 List $124.56 at Amazon | $115 List $115.00 at REI | $39.95 at Backcountry Compare at 4 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | Solid performance with a snug fit, supportive sole, and good breathability without sacrificing much foot protection from a tennis shoe | These adventure sandals are ready for even the most intense warm weather expeditions and are long time favorites for a reason | A very comfortable sandal for narrow-footed folks, with solid traction, great support, and adjustable velcro on all straps | Easily adjustable minimalistic straps and soles with great traction and flexibility make these sandals a great adventure-ready choice | An adventure ready, packable sandal for the casual traveler at a very nice price point |
| Rating Categories | Keen Newport H2 - W... | Chaco Z/Cloud 2 - W... | Ecco Yucatan - Women's | Bedrock Cairn Evo -... | Teva Original Unive... |
| Comfort (25%) | |||||
| Traction (25%) | |||||
| Stability (20%) | |||||
| Adjustability (15%) | |||||
| Versatility (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Keen Newport H2 - W... | Chaco Z/Cloud 2 - W... | Ecco Yucatan - Women's | Bedrock Cairn Evo -... | Teva Original Unive... |
| Measured Weight (per pair) | 21.2 oz | 18.2 oz | 19.8 oz | 14.1 oz | 11.1 oz |
| Sole Material | Rubber | Non-marking ChacoGrip | Rubber | Vibram XS Trek EVO rubber | Rubber |
| Upper Material | Polyester webbing | Polyester jacquard webbing | Leather with neoprene lining | Polyester and nylon webbing | REPREVE recycled polyester webbing |
| Footbed Material | Quick-dry lining with Eco Anti-Odor treatment | LUVSEAT PU | Microfiber | Minimalist EVA | EVA |
| Midsole Material | Foam | Women's specific LUVSEAT dual-density PU | Molded EVA | (Not specified) | Molded EVA |
| Width Options | Medium | Medium, Wide | Medium | Medium | Medium |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Keen Newport H2 is a snug sandal that still offers protection for your feet. A pair of size 7.5 weighs a hefty 21.2 ounces and comes in a ton of colors. They're made with polyester webbing, quick-dry lining (with Eco Anti-Odor treatment) and have rubber outsoles with foam midsoles.
Performance Comparison
The snug-fitting Keen Newport H2 are supportive and protective.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Comfort
Compared to other sandals, the Newport H2 feel snug and run a bit narrow. That said, they're not uncomfortable to wear, even for our lead tester, who often chooses wider-fitting shoes. They feel more like you're wearing a shoe than a sandal, and if you're into that feeling, these are comfortable to wear. Their insides are soft and cozy, and they feel snug without being tight.
Despite their snugness, the Newport H2 didn't cause any rubbing, even when we wore them all day, both in and out of the water. The straps are soft on bare feet, while the rubber toe bumper and extra strap coverage offer additional protection for your feet. The soles are impressively supportive for long days on your feet. If you're coming from tennis shoes, though, you'll find debris can get trapped inside these sandals, and the near-zero heel-to-toe drop may cause some fatigue if you're not used to it.
The Newport H2 have supportive soles that are on par with many sneakers.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Traction
Walking up inclines, across loose gravelly surfaces, and over rocks and boulders, the Newport provide above average traction. Even when wet, they do a solid job of staying put. They aren't quite as solid on wet surfaces as some of the more adventure-focused sandals we tested, but they still perform better than most. The outsoles of the H2 have a series of razor-thin slits meant to help channel water away from your foot. We're not sure if they're helping, as the sandals have to be quite bent to open those channels up, but we had pretty good experiences wearing these on wet docks and in wet kayaks.
The footbed of the Newport H2 doesn't have any special wicking surface but instead has an integrated textured pattern that provides a high level of traction between your foot and the sandal. Even on hot days with sweaty feet, we didn't feel that we were slipping unnecessarily inside this shoe.
The Newport traction (left, grey) is pretty solid on dry surfaces and not bad on wet surfaces. Here pictured next to a similar-appearing sandal, the Dream Pairs (right, black).
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Stability
The Newport is one of the most secure and stable sandals we tested. With so many strap anchor points surrounding your foot, this pair creates a cage to hold themselves firmly in place. They can be tightened for an even more snug fit, using the bungee on top.
Due largely to the way these sandals attach to your feet, they're some of the most secure sandals we tested — and just about the most secure option we could imagine. Unlike some lookalike pairs we've tested, these stay put and feel secure even in rushing water and on side-to-side boulder hops.
With a snug fit and tons of strap anchors, the Newport offer great stability even walking through this flooded meadow.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Adjustability
If the Newport H2 don't fit your feet just right, there's not much you can do about it. These sandals lack any velcro adjustability for the heel — or anywhere, for that matter. They have just the single over-the-top bungee cord for added security.
This not only limits the size and shape of feet that can wear the Newport H2 (which are not available in wide sizes), but also makes them difficult to get on over your heel. These are one of the few sandals we tested that aren't easy to slip on and walk away, instead requiring extra tugging to get your heels in place. Once they're on though, pulling the toggle tight isn't mandatory but can offer another layer of security if that's your preference.
Without any velcro adjustment, pulling on the tight-fitting Newport does require some extra effort.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Versatility
When listing the types and diversity of activities that the Keen Newport H2 can handle, there's not much left off the list. Their performance on all types of terrain makes them a solid choice for most casual to moderate outings and adventures. Significantly, they're far more versatile than any similar-looking sandal we tested.
When it comes to style, you get what you see. If you like the look of these sandals, they come in an astonishing array of possible colors and can frequently be found in last season's patterns as well. Once again, when comparing the look and profile of the Newport H2 to other sandals of a similar style, these are much sleeker and have an overall more “elegant” and streamlined appearance.
The style of the Newport isn't for everyone but they're versatile enough to wear in most situations.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Should You Buy the Keen Newport H2?
If you're ready to take the plunge from shoes to sandals this summer, and want something that can still give you the support and security you're used to, the Newport are a worthy investment. If you're just looking for something quick and easy to take on vacation and then toss in the back of your closet, these pricy and bulky sandals are probably overkill.
The Newport are a comfortable, supportive pair of sandals that are a great option for folks who like the stability and protection of sneakers.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
What Other Sandals Should You Consider?
For folks who just need an easy sandal for a once-every-few-years rafting trip or boating vacation, the Dream Pairs offer a similar vibe with a looser fit and less support — but for a fraction of the cost. If you're looking to invest in a great pair of river shoes with solid security and excellent wet traction, the Chaco Z/Cloud 2 is the option we recommend.
—
Maggie Nichols
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