KEEN Explore Vent review
The Corescore is a score from 0-100 that summarizes opinions from users and experts. Below shows the distribution of scores for all hiking shoes.
Verdict from 9 experts & 100+ users
Pros
- Superbly comfortable
- Lightweight
- Zero break-in period
- Excellent surface adherence
Cons
- Too unforgiving for adventurers whose feet are bulkier than usual
- Laces come undone easily

73% say it's true to size.
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Rankings
- Our 1st pick in best KEEN hiking shoes
- Top 30% in KEEN hiking shoes
- Top 30% in lightweight hiking shoes
Comparison to similar hiking shoes
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Who should buy the KEEN Explore Vent
The Explore Vent is an excellent offering from KEEN, thanks to its set of trail-empowering qualities. It is a solid option if you:
- Prefer a shoe that is designed for wearers who need to cover trail miles with as much agility as possible
- Prefer a shoe that offers underfoot protection and security
- Prefer a shoe that gives users extra walking comfort, particularly on level terrain
Offers ample traction over loose soil
With the Explore Vent’s rubber outsole (a.k.a. KEEN.All-Terrain technology), trail explorers can navigate slippery and tricky surfaces with sufficient sticking power. It can produce ample traction over loose soil, thanks to its 4-mm thick crescent-shaped lugs.
Grants additional forefoot protection
The outsole in the men’s version has grippy ridges at the heel and forefoot for additional traversal security during descents. Aside from traction, this component also grants additional forefoot protection.
Stable on rugged terrain
The KEEN Explore Vent is equipped with a stout midsole made of EVA or ethylene-vinyl acetate. On it, owners can expect to remain stable on rugged terrain with sufficient cushioning and shock absorption underfoot. Its engineers slipped in it a lightweight shank to enhance its supportiveness. They also armed it with a radial support system to bolster the shoe’s lateral (side-to-side) stabilizing capability.
Helps the user fight off the stink
Completing the equation of the Explore Vent’s midsole is a removable footbed made of polyurethane (PU). It provides not only extra cushioning but also added support. It is imbued with anti-odor technology to fight off the stink.
Breathable
Enveloping the foot in the Explore Vent is the shoe’s mesh upper with TPU overlays. It has a breathable liner that is also made of mesh. The Konnectfit technology with which the hiker is engineered adds to its structural integrity, especially around the heel. Both its tongue and ankle cuff are generously padded to give the wearer an even more comfortable in-shoe experience.
Easy to wear on and off
What helps the user expedite on and off, on the other hand, is the hiker’s heel pull tab. The KEEN Explorer Vent’s lace holes consist of synthetic loops and non-plated eyelets. They work in conjunction with the footgear’s hard-wearing lace (synthetic) to lock the foot in place.