KEEN Astoria West Review

The Astoria West tries to be a feminine yet functional adventure sandal but falls flat in both areas. While the shoe does well in the metrics of comfort, stability, and traction, its heel lift and closed-toe design makes it hardly a versatile shoe, the style leaves a lot to be desired, and it has little adjustability compared to sandals with multiple straps.

Performance Comparison

The Keen Astoria West is a decent, hybrid shoe/sandal.

Photo: Miya Tsudome

Comfort

The main discerning feature of this hybrid sandal is its chunky, cushiony heel that is supposed to add extra comfort as well as feminine flair to the shoe. Slip the Astoria West on, and the contoured and cushioned midsole will feel soft and comfortable on a narrow foot. If you have wide feet, however, look elsewhere, as these shoes are definitely geared towards the narrow-footed folk with their small toe-box and slim fit. Although Keen is known for its shoes having wider toe-boxes, so if you've wanted a shoe that fits snugger, this is the Keen sandal for you. The thick, cushioned heel will add an extra bounce in your step, and if you are someone who likes extra support, you might appreciate this feature.

The soft, cushioned sole definitely scores points for comfort.

Photo: Miya Tsudome

Traction

This hybrid sandal was made with wet environments in mind, and it sports a grippy outsole with decent traction. The rubber is sticky enough to feel secure on slick river stones, but our gripe is with the cushioned heel — because we can't feel surfaces as well through our feet due to the extra material underfoot, we don't feel as able to really trust the traction of the shoe on steep or wet surfaces. We prefer other Keen models for this purpose, where we can walk around with much more confidence on slippery or uneven surfaces.

This sandal has decent traction on wet, slippery surfaces but the cushioned heel makes it feel less secure.

Photo: Miya Tsudome

Adjustability

These shoes forgo adjustable straps for a simple bungee lace system with a hook and loop closure. You simply pull the shoe on and cinch the cord tight around your foot. This type of system is not as adjustable as having multiple straps to customize a sandal's fit, but since the Astoria West is a closed-toe model, more adjustability is not completely necessary for comfort and stability.

The only source of adjustability on the Keen Astoria West is the bungee lace.

Photo: Miya Tsudome

Stability

Closed-toe sandals offer better stability on average than open-toe models because there is no room for the foot to slide forward uncomfortably, and the webbing that surrounds the foot is much like a shoe acting to keep the foot in place. The Astoria West sandals do this job well, especially since the fit is designed by women, for women, and therefore built for a slimmer foot.

The fit feels stable, but our gripe again is with the cushioned heel, which makes walking quickly on a trail that has the occasional obstacle and uneven surface feel insecure. Our testers preferred sandals where you could feel the ground beneath your feet for more comfortable and stable travel over varying terrain.

This wasn't our top choice for a shoe to jump from slippery rock to slippery rock, as the cushioned heel made us feel slightly insecure.

Photo: Miya Tsudome

Versatility

While this shoe can serve many purposes, from day hikes to water activities to bike rides around town, its cushioned heel makes more intense outings that require quick movement a no-go, and it is definitely not our first choice for looking stylish around town.

Style

Keen isn't exactly the brand we turn to when we want a "stylish" adventure shoe. While the Astoria West tried to elevate their older models into a new, feminine shoe for trail-to-town, we just can't quite get behind this look as something we'd love to flaunt. The closed-toe, rubber bumper, webbing sandal is hard for anyone to get right, and though the added heel lift is an attempt to add comfort as well as flair, it can't compare to the more attractive open-toed models that we would actually wear around town in a sundress like those from Chaco or Teva.

It's up to you if you like the look of these sandals, but our tester preferred Chacos or Tevas for style.

Photo: Miya Tsudome

Value

Because this shoe lacks the versatility, stability, and traction of other Keen models, we don't think it's a great value for the cost. Other models cost a bit less and perform a bit better.

The Astoria West next to its less bulky cousin, the Clearwater CNX.

Photo: Miya Tsudome

Conclusion

If you appreciate some extra cushion and support from an adventure sandal that can go on a day hike and perform well in light-duty water activities, the Keen Astoria West may be the sandal for you. But it doesn't perform great in many of our metrics, and we wouldn't turn to it as our top choice for a versatile shoe that can truly take you from trail-to-town.

If a supportive and cushioned heel is what you're looking for, this is the sandal for you.

Photo: Miya Tsudome