I’ve written about KEEN shoes before. About how I’m a huge fan. That if I had to choose just one brand of shoes to wear for all of my outdoor adventures, KEEN would be it. In fact, we’ve got half a dozen pair in the house at the moment.
It all started with the sandals. And although I’ve since branched out into hiking shoes as well, neither of The Explorers had. Until last month, when The Little Explorer was lucky enough to get his first pair of KEEN hiking shoes: The Jamison.
KEEN Jamison features
The KEEN Jamison is a closed-toed sneaker for kids that works both as an everyday shoe and a shoe that can keep up with outdoor adventures. A few specifics from the manufacturer:
- Abrasion resistant and breathable textile mesh upper, which keeps kids’ feet cool
- Bungee lace
- Non-marking rubber outsole
- Available in five color combinations
- Retails for $50
Our testing conditions
We may have only had these shoes for a month, but they’re already well tested. The Little Explorer has worn them while visiting 5 states, 5 national parks, and 3 Navajo Nation lands. He’s used them to hike, climb on rocks, camp, ride a bike and play on the school playground. They’ve been tested on concrete pavement, sandstone, on dirt, in sand, in trees and on grass.
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| Testing the KEENS on a canyon wall at Arches National Park |
What we liked
- Ready to go right out of the box, no “wearing in” process required
- Kid-friendly bungee laces
- Added rubber toe protection means no holes in the toes!
- Fun, bright color options that appeal to both boys & girls
- Even after a long day of exploring, they don’t smell!
- After a ton of use, the tread still looks brand new
- No complaints about comfort, even after wearing all day
What we whined about
- The Little Explorer can pull the shoes off on his own, but definitely needs help getting them on (a little stretching out after removing the shoe would likely prevent this problem)
- The Big Explorer would like to see a more subdued color option, like solid black or brown
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| One pair of KEENs in two states at once at Four Corners National Monument |
Our bottom line
The KEEN Jamison is a well-made everyday shoe that can easily go from the playground to the trail. Although the $50 price tag may seem high for a kid’s shoe, this one will last.
Where to buy: keenfootwear.com
Note: We received a pair of KEEN Jamison kid’s shoes to field test in exchange for providing my honest review with you. Read my full disclosure policy for more information.
