HOKA’s maximalist trail shoes have a new low-profile rival from KEEN with a 4mm drop and 925-mile outsole
The Wander offers a closer-to-the-ground ride with a wide forefoot, protective rock plate and a bio-enhanced midsole
Maximal cushioning might dominate the current trail-running market, but not every runner wants several centimetres of foam separating their feet from the ground.
The Oregon-based footwear brand KEEN is taking a different approach with the Wander, its lowest-profile trail running shoe to date.
Designed to provide better ground feel underfoot, it combines a 26.1mm stack height with a low 4mm heel-to-toe drop and the brand’s characteristically roomy forefoot.
The result should feel very different from the tall, heavily cushioned trail shoes associated with brands such as HOKA (see also our HOKA Mafate 5 review).
The Wander is intended to deliver a more natural stride with enough protection for rugged and moderately technical routes.
That protection comes from a three-quarter-length rock plate, which sits beneath KEEN’s compression-resistant ReGENX cushioning.
The plate should help prevent sharp rocks from pressing through the midsole while also adding stability on uneven ground.
Built to keep wandering
Underneath, the Wander uses an abrasion-resistant rubber outsole with 3mm lugs.
These are shallower than the aggressive teeth found on shoes built for deep mud, suggesting that the Wander is best used on dry trails, gravel tracks and mixed surfaces.
KEEN says independent footwear-testing laboratory Heeluxe rated the outsole to last for more than 925 miles before wearing smooth.
That is an unusually ambitious durability claim for a trail shoe, particularly as many runners retire their footwear long before reaching that distance due to changes in cushioning and overall ride quality.
The upper is made from breathable performance mesh reinforced with overlays in higher-wear areas.
Reflective laces add some low-light visibility, while their woven construction is designed to help prevent them from coming undone on the move.
At 9.95oz, or approximately 282g, in the men’s version, the Wander is reasonably light without stripping away practical trail-running features.
Its most unusual component is the EcoEnd-enhanced midsole, which KEEN describes as a bio-enhanced material designed to biodegrade organically at the shoe’s end of life.
It is intended to help reduce the amount of persistent foam and microplastic waste left behind.
It does not make the entire shoe biodegradable, but it represents an interesting attempt to address what happens to running footwear after it has been worn out.
The Wander is currently only available at KEEN US in men’s and women’s sizes, priced at $140 (~£104 / €121 / AU$198).
UK, EU and EU availability and pricing TBC.
