KEEN Uneek review

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

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.

With a low shock absorption reading of 90 SA, we found that the KEEN Uneek offers decent impact protection for light and short walks on groomed terrain. However, don't expect much underfoot support for all-day wear.

There is not much rebound to this KEEN sandal either. Its energy return proved to be lower than average at 49.1% which translates into a flatter underfoot experience.

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.

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.

Based on our calliper 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.

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 centre 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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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 channelling 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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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 calliper reading of only 112.8 mm in the widest part of its midsole.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

As the most expensive hiking sandal in our catalogue, 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.

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.

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.

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.