First of all, thank you to the wonderful people at Keen for their generosity in getting us these great Buttes to check out. Having just gotten them in and not out on the trail yet, I just wanted to share a couple of quick thoughts as I tromp through my daily life wearing them to get them a little broken in.
First, they’re light and—obviously—well-ventilated. This motif works better with cooler socks than I own, letting fashionable outdoors people make a fashion statement. Also, my short socks are too short, and the back of my heels endured a little too much friction. The Buttes look like you might be able to get by with wearing these without socks, but I wouldn’t suggest it. The big question here is trail debris getting in the holes, which I must say do cool your feet quite nicely.
Second, they’re not just light, they’re slim—the heel of the shoe is firm, but it’s nowhere near as thick or padded as many I’m accustomed to. The obvious question this raises is how this and other weight-saving diets will impact longer-term hiking comfort. So far under break in conditions, no abnormal complaints other than the heel rub from my insufficient socks.
Lastly, the Buttes use Keen’s static-drawstring lacing instead of traditional laces, and I’ll be curious to see if the tension can be comfortably customized across all areas of the feet.
Stay tune for a full review of the Butte and a head-to-head comparison against a major competitor to see how both perform!
