Facts
| Use: | Day Hiking |
|---|---|
| Cut: | Low cut |
| Price: | $110 |
| Features: | Lightweight | Breathable |
| Weight: | Women: 9.8oz |
| Width: | Men: Normal | Women: Normal |
| Brand: | KEEN |
| Colorways: | Grey |
| Special editions: | 1 special editions |
Expert Reviews
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85 / 100 based on 2 expert reviews
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Making my way up the trail the shoes provided ample support, comfort, traction and protection.
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The shoe displays no arrogance of design in color, ribbing, lacing or any other aspect that I'd interpret to be marketing more than function.
-The Keen Explore Vent is designed for wearers who need to cover trail miles with as much agility as possible. As its name suggests, the shoe comes with a combination of technologies that put breathability front and center, making it a competent companion for hikes done in the summer months.
-It is furnished with a heavy-duty sole unit for underfoot protection and security. It is adequately rockered front and back to give users extra walking comfort, particularly on level terrain.
A below-the-ankle Keen hiking shoe for men and women is the Explore Vent. It is engineered with the Konnectfit heel-capture system which, as its name implies, locks the heel in place for a more secure fit. Owners may achieve a customized lockdown in it using the hiker’s lace-up closure.
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. 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.
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.
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 an anti-odor technology to fight off stink.
Enveloping the foot in the Explore Vent is the shoe’s mesh upper with TPU overlays. It has a breathable liner which 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. What helps the user expedite on and off, on the other hand, is the hiker’s heel pull tab.
The Keen Explore 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.