Keen: Men's Newport H2 Sandal

Altrec/Vendor Response: Why do some Keen sandals have the potential to smell? Bacteria is introduced to the shoe via dirt from the outside. Since some Keens are an open shoe, but have more protection around the foot than your average sandal, dirt can easily make its way into the shoe where bacteria can flourish. The odor is caused by the bacteria (brevibacteria) ingesting sweat and skin cells, which gives off animo acids as a waste product, thus producing the "smell".
So what has Keen done to address this? Starting in 2004, Keen began using Aegis microbeshield , which will kill the microscopic layer of bacteria on the inside of the shoe. However, in order to remove all bacteria, the shoes must be cleaned of dirt (either by machine washing or by scrubbing them out) and then exposed to UV light as they dry. The washing removes the dirt and the UV light activates the anti-microbial treatment. So wash your shoes well (Keen sandals have been tested for 25 machine washes) and set them out in the sun whenever convenient.