Keen Seek Trail Running Shoes review: A confident move into running

I won’t lie – it was something of a surprise to get the news that Keen were launching the Seek, a new shoe positioned to go up against the best trail running shoes on the market. Keen have always been best known for their highly protective trail-walking footwear – ranging from hiking boots and walking shoes to water shoes and walking sandals – traditionally featuring a signature oversized toe bumper, but they’ve never before veered into the running scene.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been shocked. More recently, Keen has slimmed down their designs, backing away from the big toe bumper and generally making their hiking footwear much lighter – with the Hightrail EXP Waterproof Hiking Shoes, which I recently tested, being the perfect example.

Also, for years now, we have seen running brands like Salomon and Inov8 stray into the hiking footwear domain, producing lightweight footwear, such as the Salomon X Ultra 360 and the Inov-8 ROCFLY G390, which offer pace and agility as well as protection and support, catering for speed hikers and fastpackers.

Keen’s designers have now responded by giving these labels a taste of their own medicine, making their own running shoes based on decades of know-how about foot dynamics and the demands of the trail, accumulated while concentrating on hiking.

Keen Seek Running Shoe review

Price and availability

The Keen Seek running shoes are available in a range of intriguing colours (‘grenadine and ocean depths’ anyone, or perhaps ‘willowherb and orange peel’) for men and women at Seek US, Seek UK and Seek EU. They have a recommended retail price of $185 in the United States, £160 in the United Kingdom and €180 across the EU.

Specifications

• Gender availability: Men’s and Women’s versions available
• Weight: Men’s: 309g / Women’s: 248g
• Colours: Safari & black / Grenadine & ocean depths / Willowherb & orange peel / Black & sunset sand
• Upper: Ultra abrasion-resistant textile with TPU heel counter
• Midsole: QuantumFoamX
• Outsole: KEEN.ALL-TERRAIN rubber
• Lug size: 4mm
• Stack: 39mm
• Drop: 6mm heel-to-toe drop
• Sizes (UK): Men’s 6–14; Women’s: 2.5–9.5
• Best for: Trail running, day hiking, fastpacking

Design and materials

The upper chassis of the Seek is made from an ultra-abrasion-resistant performance textile, backed by a breathable and stretchy lining, which acts like an integrated sock, extending right along the laces where a tongue would typically be.

Unlike some shoes I have tested recently, this inner is properly integrated with the upper, so trail debris can not get inside the shoe. The laces are fairly standard, but they are textured to better stay done up, and there is a small garage pocket to tuck the tied laces into, so they don't get caught on undergrowth.

In a big departure from Keen shoes of old, the toe cap is very minimal. The heel is far more robust and supportive, however, with a TPU counter extending up to the bottom of the Achilles. There is a substantial fabric hook for pulling the shoes on, and a Velcro strap for attaching gaiters (although there doesn't appear to be a corresponding hoop or hook at the front of the laces.

Inside, the design allows plenty of wriggle room at the front, with a wide toe box. There is no removable insole (just an integrated lining featuring a few supposedly inspirational quotes telling you to 'go for it' (a theme that continues, slightly annoyingly for a grump like me, on the outside of the shoe). The interior has also been treated with Eco Anti-Odour to prevent the buildup of pong.

Like most running shoes these days, the Seek features a deep midsole made from something called QuantumFoamX, which Keen's marketing folk claim provides high-energy cushioning and long-lasting comfort. The stack is almost 4cm high, and the heel-to-toe drop is a near-neutral 4mm, although the side profile of the shoe reveals a rocker shape.

On the underside, the Keen All Terrain rubber outsole boasts a set of 4mm lugs, which are shaped and spaced to provide traction, grip and braking control. There's no rockplate, although the depth of the midsole provides protection from punctures and supplies some degree of supportive rigidity, and a gutter along the length of the outsole allows for some level of lateral flexibility.

Keen talk a big game about sustainability, but I can't see any recycled materials used here, and the 'consciously created' claim seems to be based mainly on the alleged longevity of materials used (to be fair, it is a robustly built shoe, and should last quite some time - but I would still have like to see some pre-loved fabric utilised in its construction).

On the trails

While it's interesting to see the evolution of multi-generation models like the Saucony Peregrine 14, it’s really quite exciting to trail test a totally new running shoe, especially from a brand that is branching out in a different direction. US company Keen has decades of experience in producing excellent trail footwear to build on, but this is its first foray into running.

Since getting hold of them a month ago, I have been trail testing the Seeks on my local trails in East Devon, running through woodlands, across hills and tor tops, and cantering along the coast, atop the cliffs and down on the rocky beaches.

For a first-gen product, it is a very well-rounded shoe that performs impressively on a wide range of terrain and over a mixture of distances, although I think it’s best suited to runs of 10km to 20km.

Keen haven’t attempted to reinvent the wheel with these shoes, and by going with a deep stack, minimal heel-to-toe drop and slight rocker, they’re catering for what most trail runners seem to be demanding these days. This set-up suits me as much as it does the next runner, facilitating a nice, controlled experience and providing stability and support in the places where it’s needed most.

While there’s almost no trail feel, the chunky midsole provides excellent cushioning and good energy return. The grip is great too, and the tread doesn’t collect loose mud.

The little things all work well, too. The laces stay done up, there’s plenty of room in the toebox, so your pinkies can splay (which I like a lot), but the heel cup is good, and the overall fit is firm, cradling the midfoot so you don’t slide around in the shoe.

I really like the integrated sock inner, which does a rock-solid job of keeping grit, sand and other debris out of the shoe, but I don’t think the Seek is a very breathable shoe, and it runs quite warm. The Seek is not a waterproof shoe (and, in my opinion, that’s good), but it doesn’t drain especially quickly or well, so it’s not a great choice if you encounter lots of water crossings on your regular runs.

I also think Keen has rowed back too far on their toe protection now, and while I understand that the designers are trying to keep the weight down, I would have preferred to see a more substantial toe bumper than the flimsy thing found on the Seeks (which is pretty pointless).

Verdict

All things considered, Keen has done a grand job for their first leap into the increasingly crowded running market. The Seek is not perfect – the toe protection, breathability and drainage could all be better – but this is a decent trail running shoe that does all the really important things right, offering comfort, core performance, stability and support. I’m looking forward to seeing how this shoe evolves, but the intelligent design already employed on the Seek is impressive.

Also consider

If you're looking for a pure performance-oriented shoe, and your budget is quite generous, check out the lightweight Hoka Tecton X 3, which comes armed with carbon plates for aggressive propulsion.

For comfort and functionality during longer runs, right up to ultra distance, the award-winning Inov-8 Trailfly G270 V2 is very hard to beat, with zero drop, great grip and a long-lasting graphene-infused midsole.