Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to REVIEWS
review
Shoes
Keen Coronado Cruiser shoesKeen Coronado Cruiser shoes

Keen Coronado Cruiser shoes

7
by Shaun Audane
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Aug 15, 2011

0
£74.99

VERDICT:

7
10
Stylish, comfortable street trainers great for leisurely riding and commuting
Weight: 
1,040g
Contact: 
www.keenfootwear.com
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

Essentially the result of a steamy threesome involving a skate shoe, street pump and an SPD trainer; Keen's Coradoro shoes are remarkably comfortable for prolonged walking, loafing and short haul commutes/urban riding. Common to the type, compromised rigidity and arch support precludes more spirited/extended pedalling but the outer sole works remarkably well with dual sided commuter pedals, rattraps and beefy nylon toe clips.

Detailing throughout the Keen range is to a very high standard and the Coradoro is no exception. Plucked from the box, I was immediately smitten by their pronounced guppy-fish toe guards and the fifty-fifty nubuck/canvas uppers. The former is waterproof and relatively oily so doesn't demand anything more taxing than a periodic Nikwax wipe-over. Recycled materials extend to the aluminium eyelets but there's a wealth of hidden technology too. Metatomical foot beds, as their name implies are anatomical inserts made from a blend of recycled cork and polyurethane designed to mould to the wearer's feet and become increasingly comfortable with use.

The reassuringly stout rubber outer is less exotic but features the usual water channelling groves while the ball of your foot area comprises of a black centrepiece designed for enhanced grip and power transfer. Sizing is street as opposed to cycling and there's plenty of room in the toe-boxes for broader feet. This wasn't the happiest union with traditional chrome clips but bang on with caged type commu-spuds and buxom nylon mtb types. Powering away from the lights or in hillier regions reveals some obvious sag around the arches, especially riding fixed but this never resulted in painful hot spots.

Despite some torrential rainfall, my feet have remained surprisingly dry-even around the ventilation holes, although water dripping from my lengths finally snuck in through the tops after twenty minutes or so. Blessed with the smelliest feet in the known universe, odour control is reassuringly good. Worn for 17 hours on consecutive days, they've never felt fetid or smelt anti-social suggesting there's more to the insoles than clever marketing.

Verdict

Stylish, comfortable street trainers great for leisurely riding and commuting

road.cc test report

Make and model: Keen Coronado Cruiser shoes

Size tested: Dark Earth/Brindle

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

"Comfort, practicality and laid-back style: The Coronado Cruiser combines breathable canvas, soft leather and recycled rubber to make a relaxed summer shoe that's comfortable on the bike and off it. The sole hides a panel of soft rubber under the ball of your foot to better grip the pedals". Pretty faithful to their marketing copy.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Nubuck leather/canvas uppers, "metatomical" footbeds that mould to the wearer's feet are made from a blend of recycled cork and polyurethane. Natural rubber outer sole, recycled aluminium eyelets.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The Coranado cruiser are precisely that, street styled pumps designed with leisurely paced summer riding/commuting in mind and to this end they fit the design brief perfectly. There's some descernable flex in the sole when powering away from the lights and sustained riding reveals a distinct lack of support to the arches but they're a good match with rat/beartrap pedals.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Funky style, good quality materials and comfort.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing given the design brief.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1m 81  Weight: 70 kilos

I usually ride: Rough Stuff Tourer Based around 4130 Univega mtb Frameset  My best bike is: 1955 Holdsworth Road Path and several others including cross & traditional road

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Keen Coronado Cruiser shoes
Keen
commuter cycling shoe
Shaun Audane

Shaun Audane is a freelance writer/product tester with over twenty-eight years riding experience, the last twelve (120,000 miles) spent putting bikes and kit through their paces for a variety of publications. Previous generations of his family worked at manufacturing's sharp end, thus Shaun can weld, has a sound understanding of frame building practice and a preference for steel or titanium framesets.
Citing Richard Ballantine and an Au pair as his earliest cycling influences, he is presently writing a cycling book with particular focus upon women, families and disabled audiences (Having been a registered care manager and coached children at Herne Hill Velodrome in earlier careers)

Latest Comments