4 min readShop $180, keenfootwear.com
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Deep down, I’ve always been a Keen guy, always been from a Keen family; I just needed some reminding. My first hiking boots? Keen. The work boots my brother, an electrician, wears? Keen. The shoes I slip on to run to the grocery store? Keen Uneek. While these days I’m typically in cowboy boots, Chelsea boots, or cheap sneakers to work out in. I wasn’t dying for a Keen sneaker release. But that changed when I slipped on one of its latest pairs.
A pair made its way to my desk, as style products do in this job. I took them for a stroll around the office, felt good. I wore them to the gym in our office building a few times. They’re much better than my beat up Chuck Taylors on the treadmill, but they’re fashion sneakers, really. Once I brought them home, they became my go-to errand-running shoe, then my neighborhood shoe. And now? They’re my do-everything shoe. Turns out, the KM2 Joggers got me. They got me hook, line, and sinker.
The Support Is Unbeatable
Like I said, the Converse Chuck Taylors were my previous pick for “workout” shoes. Crazy, I know, but, I can’t stand wearing proper running shoes while lifting. (I’m never going to be a shoes off in the gym guy. I leave that to the Instagram lifters.) I rarely run, so I prefer a good-looking sneaker to a runner with sky-high marathon cushioning. This is where the KM2 got me. The shoe is bouncy enough for a jog, but it’s not a running shoe. The sole is stable, ideal for when I’m in the gym throwing around kettlebells. It sounds simple, but other companies spend ungodly amounts of money on cross trainers that suck. I’ve tried versions from the big names—Reebok, Nike, et al.—and there’s always something that rubs me the wrong way. Keen, it just so happens, made one without even trying. This is a fashion sneaker that just so happens to be absurdly comfortable for me.
Shop $180, keenfootwear.com
You Can Wear Them With Anything
That’s what got me when I started wearing them home from the gym. Sneakers are not my style, but the KM2 worked its way into my life. After they came home and sat by my door, I started to take them further afield. First, it was a run to the corner store, then the laundromat, then the grocery store—all with sweatpants. Then, I was wearing them with jeans on walks with my wife to our local for a weeknight drink.
Now, they’re starting to become my de facto weekend shoe. The surprising part about this is that it’s the KM1 that’s supposed to be the lifestyle sneaker of this new release from Keen. I’m just leaning into the dad sneaker thing, though this leather version is more upscale than the average sneaker. And sure, I’m not wearing them to parties, nor am I wearing them to work, but I’ve been blowing my own mind with how often I’m slipping these things on. The comfort is a big part of it, but the funny thing is I’m really starting to love them. I mean, this dusty orange/brown colorway… incredible. I’m considering buying pair number two.
Shop $180, keenfootwear.com
The Best Part: They’re American Built
When this administration’s tariffs hit last year, the office was amazed by a stat I pulled out: less than five-percent of the shoes sold in the United States are assembled domestically. This isn’t a politics story, so I’ll let you to determine if you think that’s good or bad. All I’m trying to say is that it’s difficult to do domestically. To make shoes here, you have to be dedicated to your workforce (Keen is), and you have to own your own factories (Keen does). Though based in Portland, Oregon, Keen’s factory in Kentucky is its base for it’s Made in the U.S.A. work boots, and now, these American-built sneakers. From the outside looking in, it’s a small step, but in reality it’s a massive undertaking. I have a massive amount of respect for Keen for doing it, and I respect that it did it under $200.
All these surprises lead me to my final line of thinking: I guess I really am a Keen guy. Rarely do I feel respect for a brand, and affinity is kind of out of the question. I’m cynical about the people who make the things I wear, and I expect they’d pull a fast one on me if it meant more money in their profit column. But against all odds, against my better judgement, I do really feel like Keen has its head on straight—a rare good company. And if not…well the shoes are still incredible.
Shop $180, keenfootwear.com
Photographs by Michael Carnevale