Usage: Daily commuting and weekend usage.

Pedals: Cranks Brothers SL

First impressions:

The construction of the shoe is very solid and the finishing was well done. Stitching was uniform with no fraying. All the materials used feel to be of a high quality. The leather is supple with still feeling solid, the velcro seems strong enough to hold up to daily use and the breathable mesh like material actually seems like it will hold up to daily usage. This always seems to be an issue with cycling shoes for me. The color is a muted grey with yellow accents, which is great as they are subtle enough to wear off the bike without being too garish. The toe box is quite wide, but I enjoyed this. The shoe is aimed towards a commuter not a serious mountain bike racer so the extra toe room makes walking in these shoes enjoyable and not painful and also allows for wearing a thicker sock with no fit issues. The “Metatomical” foot bed insole also makes a huge difference in the comfort of these shoes. It offers great arch support and comfort for both the heel and ball of your foot.

Performance:

Ok this still is a bike shoe set up for spds and everything about this shoe being comfortable doesn’t count for anything if it doesn’t work. Well it works! The base of the shoes underneath the cleat is incredibly stiff and provides a solid platform to transfer power. Any flex I felt was negligible and well worth the off the bike comfort. The Velcro straps work well and have enough adjustment for seemingly anyone to get the right fit.

Final impressions:

After a solid 2 months of riding and about 350 miles these shoes I couldn’t be happier. They are holding up incredibly well, have only gotten more comfortable with a little break in and are a joy to walk around in off the bike. They also proved to be an incredibly fast drying shoe. After being stuck in a few freak thunderstorms I dreaded the full day and stuffing newspaper ritual you must go through to dry out shoes. After arriving home, I pulled out the insoles, stuffed the shoes with newspaper and within three hours the shoes were completely dry, amazing. The $130 price tag is very reasonable and in line with competitors pricing of similar shoes. Bottom line the Keen Springwater shoe is comfortable, affordable, and looks better then most shoes aimed at commuters. I’m stoked!

Click here to visit the Keen website | Click here to buy on Amazon

Review by Leif Covington