The Clearwater CNX is part of Keen’s ‘Waterfront’ collection designed for beach and general watersports activities.
We found the Clearwater CNX’s to be pretty comfortable out of the box, the footbed is nicely cushioned and the contoured arch and metatarsal ridge provide natural underfoot support.
The bungee cord lacing system allows you to pull the sandal in close to your foot which gives a good level of stability – especially important when the sandals are wet. The open back does slightly concern us when walking over rough ground as the heel tends to move around a little but these sandals weren’t necessarily designed with hiking in mind.
The toe box is generous for a women’s specific sandal and the classic Keen rubber rand around the front gives the Clearwater that eminently recognisable Keen look.
The upper is made of a washable polyester webbing with a hydrophobic mesh lining, a combination which is water repelling, quick drying and lightweight.
In use the sandals feel lightweight and perfectly at home on the beach as well as around town. They’ve also been used for some light hiking duties and performed reasonably well although if you want some hiking specific sandals we’d recommend taking a look at some of Keen’s more rugged range.