Nuestra conclusión

Aunque tienen una estética que puede causar polémica, las KEEN Uneek han recibido montones de críticas positivas durante sus más de 10 años en el mercado. Y la verdad es que estamos completamente de acuerdo con estos halagos, ya que nos parecen una opción ideal para pasar los veranos junto al agua. Su flexibilidad y ligereza hicieron que nos olvidásemos de ellas, pero es que además quedan muy bien. Eso sí, no están preparadas para ninguna aventura de trail seria, y se nos ocurren opciones mucho mejores en cuanto a amortiguación y sujeción a un precio más económico.

Pros

  • Diseño llamativo
  • Estructura muy flexible
  • Suela exterior muy duradera
  • Dejan que sientas muy bien el suelo
  • Buen agarre en superficies mojadas y lisas
  • Se sienten ligeras
  • Cordones fabricados con materiales reciclados

Contras

  • No ofrecen mucha sujeción
  • Poca protección contra los obstáculos

Veredicto de los usuarios

91
Excelentes

Who should buy

The KEEN Uneek is a great option to consider if:

  • you want to elevate your style for summertime
  • you need sandals for casual use on hard-packed terrain, beach and riverside, or around town
  • you prefer minimal sandals with thinner soles

KEEN Uneek review

Who should NOT buy

If you are planning to hit the trails, we highly recommend choosing more protective and supportive sandals like the KEEN Newport H2.

And if you prefer open-toe designs, have a look at the Teva Hurricane XLT2.

KEEN Uneek lab test

Amortiguación

Shock absorption

Nuevo

Esta sección está en desarrollo.

Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 90 SA
Media 105 SA
En comparación con 7 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
90 SA
Absorción de impactos
123 SA

Energy return

Nuevo

Esta sección está en desarrollo.

Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 49.1%
Media 53.9%
En comparación con 7 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
49.0%
Retorno de energía
61.0%

Altura de la suela en la zona del talón

Measuring the Uneek's heel stack at 20.5 mm, we found it to be very close to the promised 21 mm.

This heel rise is lower than the category average and it is reflected in the sandal's very grounded feel. It offers decent impact protection for light and short walks on groomed terrain but don't expect much underfoot support for all-day wear.

KEEN Uneek Heel stack
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 20.5 mm
Media 25.9 mm
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
15.9 mm
Altura de la suela en la zona del talón
30.9 mm

Altura de la suela en el antepié

The forefoot stack of this KEEN sandal also proved to be below the average at 12.9 mm.

This is a very thin buffer between the ball of the foot and the ground so you better be careful not to step on stones, roots, and other sharp objects.

The protection is minimal here but you get a very intimate ground contact in return. This makes the sandal even more appropriate for water activities like paddle boarding where you rely on that connection to maintain balance.

KEEN Uneek Forefoot stack
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 12.9 mm
Media 18.1 mm
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
12.9 mm
Altura de la suela en el antepié
23.0 mm

Drop

Based on our caliper measurements above, the KEEN Uneek has a heel-to-toe drop of 7.6 mm. This is not exactly 9 mm as stated in the product description but you can hardly feel that 1.4 mm difference.

In this setup, the heel receives more underfoot material for shock absorption while the forefoot remains thin for flexibility and proprioception.

KEEN Uneek Drop
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 7.6 mm
Media 7.8 mm
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
2.1 mm
Drop
11.9 mm

Suavidad de la mediasuela

The sandal's platform is made of a single-density foam which hits a sweet spot between firmness and softness. That, in turn, makes the Uneek feel decently comfortable yet stable and protective.

Pressing our Shore A durometer against its half-cut midsole returned a middle-of-the-road reading of 24.5 HA. It falls right into the center of the cushioning softness spectrum.

The blue lining on top of the sandal's black foam is made of microfiber. It feels soft to the touch and helps to prevent the foot from slipping around.

KEEN Uneek Midsole softness
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 24.5 HA
Media 27.3 HA
Utilizamos la media de cuatro pruebas. La foto muestra una de esas pruebas.
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
18.9 HA
Suavidad de la mediasuela (de blanda a firme)
35.1 HA

Tallaje y ajuste

Talla

KEEN Uneek tallan bien (295 votos).

Si tienes estas zapatillas, ¿qué opinas de su talla?

1 talla más pequeñas ½ talla más pequeñas Tallan bien ½ talla más grandes 1 talla más grandes
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
½ talla más pequeñas
Tallan un poquito pequeño
Tallan bien
Tallan un poquito grande
½ talla más grandes

Anchura / Ajuste

It's tricky to assess the fit of this KEEN sandal considering that its upper is made of 'free-moving' cords that stretch and adapt to your foot on the go. But the good news is that our medium-width feet felt right at home in our regular men's US size 9.

KEEN Uneek fit

It does take some time to get used to the 'uneek' construction of this sandal and you will likely need to go back and forth adjusting its lace lock in the beginning. However, its ankle strap is not adjustable which could be a problem for people with narrower feet and skinnier ankles.

This KEEN sandal doesn't skimp on vertical space which means no pressure on top of your toes.

Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek

Tracción / Agarre

Traction test

Nuevo

Esta sección está en desarrollo.

Tracción en el antepié
Tracción en el talón
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 0.34
Media 0.29
En comparación con 7 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
0.15
Tracción en el antepié
0.59

Profundidad del dibujo de la suela

'Lugs' is not the most fitting word for the Uneek's flat and shallow treading but at least they give the sandal some texture by protruding 2.2 mm above the sole.

KEEN Uneek Lug depth
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 2.2 mm
Media 2.9 mm
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
0.0 mm
Profundidad del dibujo de la suela
4.1 mm

Diseño de la suela exterior

Nuevo

The KEEN Uneek's smooth outsole is not your best friend on technical or even moderately challenging terrain. It belongs in the manicured and hard-packed trails, beaches, and riverside.

KEEN Uneek outsole

If you look at it more closely, you can see two thin razor-siped lines (one in the forefoot and one in the heel). They enhance the sandal's grip on smooth and wet surfaces like boulders by channeling water away from the contact area.

If you need a more capable sandal for trails and hiking, consider the KEEN Newport H2 or the HOKA Hopara 2.

KEEN Uneek Outsole design

Estabilidad

Prueba de estabilidad lateral

Its low-stack platform is the only source of stability in the KEEN Uneek because you can't expect much support from its floating cord upper.

But luckily, some arch support is provided by the sandal's Contour Arch design. It comes in the shape of a moderate curve on the inner side of the foot.

KEEN Uneek contoured arch

However, if you have severe overpronation or rely on more stable footwear in general, you may not find enough support in this very minimal KEEN sandal.

Rigidez torsional

Nothing in its construction holds the KEEN Uneek back from flexing and bending in every direction. This sandal feels like an extension of the foot, allowing natural biomechanics to take charge of the movement.

Our manual twisting test revealed no rigidity in the sandal's midfoot so we instantly rated its torsional stiffness with the lowest score of 1/5.

Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 1
Media 2.6
En comparación con 9 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
1
Rigidez torsional
5

Anchura de la mediasuela - antepié

Most hiking sandals are built on very broad platforms to provide as much contact area with the ground as possible. However, KEEN chose to keep the Uneek slimmer and gave it a more streamlined silhouette compared to other sandals we've tested (think HOKA).

That's why we weren't surprised to see a caliper reading of only 112.8 mm in the widest part of its midsole.

KEEN Uneek Midsole width - forefoot
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 112.8 mm
Media 118.9 mm
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
112.6 mm
Anchura de la mediasuela - antepié
125.1 mm

Anchura de la mediasuela - talón

The heel of this KEEN sandal also proved to be notably narrower than average at 82.6 mm in its widest area. For reference, its midsole dimensions are close to those of the Teva Original Universal.

KEEN Uneek Midsole width - heel
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 82.6 mm
Media 91.1 mm
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
81.6 mm
Anchura de la mediasuela - talón
100.5 mm

Flexibilidad / Rigidez

Nuevo

The Uneek's woven cord upper and thin sole allow for the most unhindered foot bending imaginable in a sandal. It barely takes any force to bend it as our shoe flexibility tester recorded a minuscule reading of 4.6N.

That makes it the most flexible sandal in our roster along with the KEEN Targhee III Sandal.

KEEN Uneek Flexibility / Stiffness
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 4.6N
Media 9.0N
En comparación con 7 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
4.5N
Flexibilidad <> Rigidez
14.8N

Peso

Considering the Uneek's very minimal construction, we were utterly surprised by its weight!

Our scale showed 11.1 oz (315g) which is the average weight of hiking sandals in our lab. We expected the number to be lower because, on foot, this KEEN sandal feels much lighter than its static weight suggests. 

KEEN Uneek Weight
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 11.1 oz (315g)
Media 11.1 oz (316g)
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
6.3 oz (179g)
Peso
14.6 oz (414g)

Durabilidad

Esta sección está en desarrollo.

Durabilidad de la suela

We were amazed to see how firmly the Uneek's outsole stood against sandpaper in our Dremel test. After 18 seconds of drilling its rubber at a high 10K RPM speed, we were amazed to see that the dent was only 0.7 mm deep!

That's a fantastic result for a hiking sandal as these aren't always packed with hard-wearing rubber outsoles.

Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 0.7 mm
Media 1.6 mm
En comparación con 9 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
0.0 mm
Desgaste de la suela
2.0 mm

Grosor de la suela

That wear resistance and the Uneek's above-average outsole thickness (2.9 mm) promise great long-term durability in this KEEN sandal.

KEEN Uneek Outsole thickness
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 2.9 mm
Media 2.6 mm
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
0.0 mm
Grosor de la suela
3.6 mm

Varios

Precio

As the most expensive hiking sandal in our catalog, many people can be taken aback by the KEEN Uneek's price point. Given the absence of advanced materials or technologies, you are paying for the sandal's peculiar cord design above anything else in this case.

KEEN Uneek Price
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek $140
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
€40
Precio
€160

Elementos reflectantes

None of the sandal's components are made of reflective materials as our dark room test showed.

KEEN Uneek Reflective elements
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek No

Upper material thickness

The Uneek features soft suede-like material on top of the instep to keep the integrity of its whole cord setup. Acting as an essential buffer between bare skin and bungee laces, we measured the thickness of this piece at 1.5 mm.

KEEN Uneek Tongue padding
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek 1.5 mm
Media 4.3 mm
En comparación con 11 sandalias de senderismo
Número de zapatillas
1.5 mm
Acolchado de la lengüeta
8.2 mm

Tirador del talón

A pull tab wouldn't make the on-and-off easier even if this KEEN sandal had one. So if you're having trouble slipping inside, some people decided to fold the ankle strap down and turn the Uneek into a slipper.

KEEN Uneek Heel tab
Resultados de las pruebas
Uneek Ninguno

Laces

The Easy-On Bungee Cinch indeed makes it quick and easy to adjust the tightness of this sandal. You can also hide excess cords under the bottom loop.

KEEN Uneek Lace lock

Sustainable materials

According to KEEN, the Uneek's bungee cords are all made of recycled P.E.T. plastic. However, it's not specified whether any other parts of this sandal are made of sustainable materials.

KEEN Uneek Sustainable materials