KEEN Women's Rose Casual Closed Toe Sandals

I, too, love everything but the Velcro straps but decided to keep the sandals because they are indeed like my dream sandals (design, comfort, function). As many have noted, the straps were too short and made my ankles feel uncomfortable, like the feeling of being choked (not that my ankles need to breathe!). I think if the straps were made of elastic material, it would have made a huge difference but they aren't. I intended to remove the straps entirely but I came up with this idea instead: using small hair ties. I took out the whole strap from its loop, looped a hair tie through the strap loop and put the strap through the hair tie loop. Please see picture. I would prefer if the color matches my sandals but I only have black ones on hand. At least the black still matches the black rubber sole. Nevertheless, I am very happy with the sandals now and so glad I had not unstitched the straps before I thought of this other, simpler idea. Plus, I like that I can still keep the cute strap look, though it is not really serving any function other than the aesthetic purpose. Hope this could be useful to some of you!

I am rating this sandal 4/5 stars as it is a nice sandal and should fit most women. However, I have a wide foot with a high instep and these shoes were just a tad too tight due to the non-adjustable ankle strap. I read about this potential con before purchasing but because they looked so nice, I still wanted to try them on to see if they would work for me. They technically fit on my foot without trouble; the strap was just a tad but too tight for my comfort level. The strap would have *probably* loosened up had I had worn them around for a little while, but at $80, this wasn't a risk I was willing to take. I also ordered a pair of Keen Bali Strap sandals at the same time and those fit better with the adjustable ankle strap. Unfortunately, because of a product defect, I have to return those too. (Note: I've included a comparison of the Bali vs Rose sandal below since I wished I could have found a detailed comparison review for the two before purchase.) Overall, these sandals are cute and functional (hard combo to find!). The sole is supportive and the sandal would be extremely comfortable if it weren't for the non-adjustable ankle strap. Again, I think this wouldn't be a problem for the vast majority of women. My feet are very wide, very high instep (as a loving family member once told me...I have "man feet" :/) and they almost fit me, so they should fit *most* women just fine.KEEN Bali Strap vs Rose Comparison:-Rose has non-adjustable ankle strap; Bali has two adjustable straps at the ankle area.-Rose straps are made of softer material against the skin. It feels velvety as opposed to the typical cloth material of Keen Sandals. Both are comfortable but if the Rose straps fit me better, I would prefer their material.-Rose feels more secure because the toe straps go up higher on the foot.-Rose has a more cushioned sole. Bali Strap has a more contoured sole. In my opinion the sole of Rose would be better for long distance walking on relatively flat surfaces. Bali Strap sole would be better for climbing, or walking in rocky/unstable areas as the contoured sole gives the foot a better "feel" for the ground under the shoe.-Bali Strap has an awkward opening near the small toe which can allow the small toe to "escape" (especially if there is a manufacturing defect making the opening larger than it should be; see my Bali Strap review). The straps on the Rose are closer together, which effectively keeps those rouge little toes contained.If both sandals had fit me, I would have definitely preferred the Rose. However, the Bali Strap is the better option for my feet.

Typically I wear an 8.5 in heels and a size 9 in tennis shoes, and per some of the other reviews, I decided to go with size 9. This was spot on, so when choosing a size, go with what size you would wear for running shoes. With that out of the way, I have to say, I was skeptical about this purchase because of the cost, I never spend more than $40 on shoes so this was a big deal for me. But they have a money back guarantee so I decided to go for it, and I am so glad that I did. Also my feet are fairly average, I have a slight arch and not too wide of a foot, just in case you were wondering.I went to Thailand for two weeks, I wore these shoes every single day of the trip. I did not once experience any blisters, rubbing or discomfort. And this is Thailand, my feet were sweaty the whole time and the shoes were still incredibly comfortable, reliable and didn't falter in any way. I don't think you fully understand this, I was climbing 300+ stairs to the top of temples, walking around crowded outdoor markets, walking across town that took 30-45minutes on foot, walking through rubble of fallen structures, climbing small hills to reach main roadways...the list could go on. Seriously I don't know how else I can say it, these are the best shoes I have ever bought. I got good traction even when walking alongside rivers, my toes were protected so I never stubbed them or hurt them in anyway, and the strap keeps them secured tightly, which is crucial when there was so much moving around, flip flops would have been terrible. They were so easy to put on that even after having to take them off when inside temples, it was super easy to slip them back on, not to mention the color was easy to spot amongst a sea of shoes.So if you are debating about these shoes because of the price or the material or the style or whatever, I say please give it a chance. They are really cute and fashionable, they don't make you stand out like a tourist, they have just enough authenticity about them. I could wear them with skirts, dresses, or even jeans. What a great pair of shoes, I am so happy I chose them, they took me across Thailand single-handedly and never once did I find myself complaining about them.I was not paid to say this, or given any incentive, this is in fact my first amazon review. I felt it important to relay my experience as I know shoes can be a big investment, especially when buying online. So yeah 5 stars it is!

I love Keen brand. They're a good quality brand but I did not like the quality of my recent purchase! Please see attached photo so you know exactly what I am talking about... Keen you need better quality control.

I love these sandles! I prefer to have toe coverage and these worked very well during a weekend camping trip. They are very comfortable for walking distances and the straps are nice and snug. I wear a size 10 running shoe and a size 9 regular shoe. I probably could have gone with an 8 1/2 as the 9's leave a tad extra room in the toe area. Still super comfy though!

I have lots of issues with my feet - too wide for most shoes, arthritis, bunion, hammer toe, flat feet, etc; and have difficulty finding shoes that fit and are comfortable. These don't look at all clumpy either. Very pleased with them. I bought them for dog walking over country paths and have found them comfortable and am surprised that they don't seem to pick up grit. I usually have to stop at least once on a walk to empty out my old walking boots. I'm a size 4, but usually have to buy a 5 to get sufficient width. I was able to comfortably fit into a 4.5 with this design though.

Very nice looking sandals. I normally wear a UK 7 and ordered a 7. My left foot (7) is slightly bigger than my right foot (6.5). I found the rubber toe section pressed down on my large toe on the left foot which is uncomfortable. It might be something that stretches over time, but these are too expensive to take the risk. I also felt my left foot sliding about a bit, so not very well supported (my feet are somewhat narrow, but the sandals don't look to wide on them). Oddly a better fit on my smaller foot. The back straps around the heel also felt like they were beginning to rub after a few minutes walking around the house. So overall not comfortable enough for the price and I suspect they would lead to blisters. Shame because it's hard to find black synthetic hiking sandals for women.

Not only do these look great but they're super-comfy too. I've worn Keen walking sandals for years and, in the past, have always gone for Venice and been happy with them. Needed new ones this year and ordered Rose (which I'd never seen before) at same time for comparison. They fitted like a glove the moment I tried them on and made the Venice sandals seem heavy and clunky and pretty ugly. Pottered around the in my new Rose sandals on day one and risked them on a strenuous 28k walk the next day. They took it all (the many ups and downs, the rocks and roots, the mud, grit, pebbles and sand); they remained comfortable throughout and and I had no blisters or chafing at all. Happy customer here.

These sandals are exactly as pictured. They arrived on time ,well packaged and undamaged.The colour is as shown and they are well made and comfortable. Very satisfied with them.

So easy to take off and on but nice and secure on foot..the most comfy sandal for walking in ..