Keen Uneek Review

“Did your daughter make them with her rainbow loom?” That comment still exists on the photo I shared to facebook. I guess that means they really are unique, or uneek, or Keen-u or something. Whatever way you slice it, I really like these sandals. Maybe it’s my love of paracord, perhaps it’s because I’m a fan of Keen in general, but definitely it’s because these are comfortable… and unique sandals.

Let’s take a look at the features and then dig in to what I think of them.

Features

• 2 Pieces of braided polyester
• 1 Sole… yes, they’ve got sole
• 1 heel strap
• 1 tongue
• weight 11.1 oz
• MSRP:  $100 USD ($120 CAD up in Canada)

Testing

We’ve had these sandals for a few months of testing from Keen Canada. In this time we’ve hiked, strolled, squished through mud, waded up streams, fished and more. And despite all that they still look pretty new!

How do they perform?

The heart of the UNEEK shoe is the construction. It’s made of 2 pieces of paracord woven together  with a tongue and heel and then attached to the sole. Take a look at the video below:

 

The idea behind the paracord is that it does a better job conforming to your foot. There’s a cool example in the video above, but the result is something that hasn’t given me any sore spots on my feet. The only other thing in the upper is the microfibre used in the tongue and heel strap, which is super smooth and soft.

The sole includes razor siping, which adds flexibility to the shoe as well as increasing traction.

The result of all this is a very breathable, comfortable shoe that provides great traction and that looks unique.

So… about the “magic loom” look. I work in an office building where some people wear suits and others shorts. I got a lot of looks and a few comments when I wore them the first time, a few chuckles, and now everyone is cool with them. Honestly, they remind me of boat shoes… albeit much cooler and brighter boat shoes. After a few days, I didn’t think twice about putting them on. Once you get past the concept challenging style you’ll just relax and enjoy how incredibly comfortable they are as you go about your adventurous life.

Conclusion

Keen’s new Uneek sandal is a pretty cool concept and is a pleasure to wear. It’s breathable, comfortable and provides good traction over a variety of terrain. The $100 price tag won’t strike a note with some readers, but is in the range of other higher end sandals. That said, if you try them on you’ll be impressed with the feel and if you give try them out for a few days I think you’ll start to like the look.

These shoes are definitely causing some controversy. What are your thoughts on the look and on the concept? Leave your feedback below!