Our ‘Nice Bit of Kit That’ feature is a celebration of the gear, clothing, and footwear that we like. It’s as simple as that. No rocket science. No complex lingo. Just stuff that we think is cool.
This week, an orange and strawberry smoothie in shoe form from KEEN
What Is It?
A shoe so bright you actually need to put on protective eyewear before looking directly at it. Lightweight, sleek, and built to perform on the trail – it’s KEEN’s Venture Waterproof Hiking Shoe in the dark cheddar / raven colourway. You know when you’ve been tango’d.
OK. Why’s It Good?
Apart from the fact it’s like being slapped in the face by an incredibly fresh, incredibly tasty, satsuma, you mean? Well, this being KEEN you can of course count on it in the quality outdoor footwear stakes. How does a removable, dual-density footbed with arch support sound? Pretty comfortable, I bet. Speaking of comfort, big shoutout to the EVA midsole for bringing in some all-important lightweight cushioning underfoot. Lovely stuff.
Also, anyone capable of tearing their eyes away from the orange mayhem (well done btw) might have noticed something clever-looking happening near the backend. That’s the KonnectFit heel-capture system which brings in a reassuringly locked-in feel to proceedings. If you’re a sucker for walking on ankle-rolling terrain, but can’t be bothered with a big boy boot, this feature will be right up your street.
What else? Well, the waterproof, breathable, KEEN.Dry membrane is obviously a win on the soggy trail days. Also, well, it’s orange. It’s incredibly orange. What’s not to love about that?
Other colours are available.
When Would You Wear This?
Look. You’re not wearing these up Annapurna, and that’s OK. That’s not what they’re about. No. These are your weekend hill-strollers, your lunchtime park walkers, your “My life, up until this moment, has been heavily influenced by the Netherlands’ style at World Cup 1974 and I never realised how much that was true until just now” kind of low top shoe.
“My life, up until this moment, has been heavily influenced by the Netherlands’ style at World Cup 1974”
Wear them on rocky nature walks (they’re surprisingly tough), wear them round the city, wear them at your mate’s orange-themed 30th birthday party (where everything, yes everything, must be orange).
Alright, I’m Convinced. How Much Is It?
£119.99. Six of your crispest twenty pound notes, in other words. Keep the change.
Final Thoughts
They’re orange.