As I was packing for a week of climbing and hiking in France, I faced a challenge. I had to fit everything into a single carry-on. When it came to choosing the one pair of non-climbing shoes I would bring, without hesitation, I reached for my KEEN Seek Trail Runners. The comfort and support of these shoes made them the only ones I’d want to wear for a week straight.
For the last 2 months, I’ve worn the Seek every day, and thrown every type of terrain and condition at them, and they’ve withstood nearly all of it. The Seek is KEEN’s first foray into trail running shoes, and the brand claims that the model can last up to 900 miles.
While I haven’t hit that number yet, the lack of visible wear and tear after testing is a good sign.
In short: The KEEN Seek trail running shoe is a lightweight, durable trail runner with excellent cushion that provides all-day comfort. If you’re looking for a versatile, long-lasting shoe for the road and the trail, the Seek is an excellent pick. Its one weakness is its lack of weather resistance, making it a poor choice for wet or muddy environments. But overall, this is a solid shoe for casual trail runners who value comfort and longevity.
Compare the KEEN Seek Trail Running Shoe to those on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Trail Running Shoes.
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All-day comfort
KEEN Seek Trail Running Shoe Review
I wore this shoe every day for 2 months. Any time I walked my dogs or went for a jog in the park, I wore the Seek. I used it as my approach shoe on several climbing trips, hikes with rocky, uneven terrain, and hikes and runs in state parks. I also wore it for a week in France as I hiked and climbed in the forests of Fontainebleau.
Size & Fit
I typically wear a size 9 or 9.5 in most shoes. However, I sized up to a size 10 in the Seek based on suggestions from the brand. I have narrow feet and a normal arch. I usually size up for trail runners or hiking boots, and am glad I did the same for the Seek.
As someone with narrow feet, many brands’ shoes are too wide and the toe boxes too big for me. Sometimes, I can feel my foot sliding around in the shoe. I usually wear HOKA Speedgoats and typically have to lace them very strategically to keep my foot secure. However, that wasn’t the case with the KEEN. Of course, people with wider feet might be better off with brands like Altra, but if you have narrower feet like I do, the Seek is a good fit.
Cushion, Comfort, and Performance
The greatest test of the Seek’s comfort was wearing them for 24 hours straight while traveling to France. After all those hours of lugging suitcases and traversing airports and train stations, my body and brain were definitely tired, but my feet weren’t.
The shoe’s QuantumFoamX made me feel like I was on a cloud. The slight bit of extra padding on the tongue and the side of the heel added extra cushion. Even after hours of hiking and running in state parks, my feet never felt sore, and I have yet to experience any blisters.
With a weight of just 8.6 ounces per shoe, I felt quite nimble in the Seek. It’s got a heel height of 39 mm and a drop of 6 mm, so it’s a solidly intermediate, low-drop shoe.
Overall, it’s pretty stripped down and basic. I don’t think it will attract the attention of hardcore racers, ultra athletes, or FKT chasers. But for casual runners like me, it’s a shoe I’d recommend.
In the Field
In most running shoes, it doesn’t take long for my ankles to start feeling stiff. However, with the Seeks, that didn’t happen. That’s likely thanks to the heavy cushion Keen packed into this lightweight package.
One thing that surprised me was how effectively the Seek kept out dirt and debris for a shoe that sits below the ankle. The knit upper lies quite flush with your foot; I never had to dig out dirt, small rocks, or burrs, even on unkempt trails.
A small pet peeve: The laces continually became untied. No matter my efforts, having to retie the laces interrupted a number of runs and hikes.
Traction
On a rainy day in France, I went for a hike through a rocky forest and traversed slippery, wet sandstone for hours. In that entire adventure, I only slipped and came close to falling once. The Seek has got 4mm multi-directional lugs and is a stiff, inflexible shoe. The combo of these features gave me confidence in that kind of unstable terrain.
In Missouri, I was belaying a climber on a downward-sloping hill with rocks and scree. While belaying, I was much more attuned to looking at my climber than paying attention to where I was stepping. With the Seek, I didn’t slip on the loose rock, even when I had to move quickly to give a take.
Durability
After wearing the Seek every day for months, I noticed very little wear and tear. Of course, there’s some discoloration from mud and dirt, and one or two lugs on the bottom of each shoe have slightly worn down. For reference, I’ve probably put close to 200 miles on these shoes so far.
The foam has some surface-level scrapes and abrasions, but hasn’t suffered any significant damage. The knit upper has no holes or delamination, and the laces are only a little fuzzy. My pair of Seeks shows no indication of the pounding I’ve given them. I’m confident that they’ll last for months to come and many more miles.
Breathability & Waterproofing
The upper of the shoe is a porous, knit-like material that’s supremely breathable. I wore the Keen with light-cushion merino socks on days with temperatures reaching the 80s, and I noticed very little foot sweat and no hot spots.
Breathability and weatherproofing often exist in a game of trade-offs, and that’s definitely the case with the Seek. There’s a small band of coating on the knit upper near the toes, which does help keep out moisture. But if you step in a puddle, it’s game over: Your foot and sock will most definitely be wet. It is worth noting that the shoe is gaiter-compatible with attachment points near the laces and heel.
On the whole, the Seek is pretty permeable to wet conditions. Walking through a dewy grass field the morning after a rainstorm was enough to make my socks damp. If you live in a wet or rainy climate, the Seek likely isn’t the best choice. I’d love to see Keen add a waterproof version of this shoe in the future.
Stacking Up the Keen Seek Trail Running Shoe
The Seek is lighter than many other trail runners. At 8.6 ounces, it’s lighter than many of our favorite trail runners, including the HOKA Speedgoat 6 (9.8 ounces), Scarpa Golden Gate ATR 2 (10.9 ounces), and Saucony Peregrine 15 (9.7 ounces).
Of course, the Seek’s lighter weight means it has less cushion than these other shoes. If that’s a deal breaker, check out some of the other options on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Trail Running Shoes and the Best Trail Running Shoes for Women.
High Price Tag
The Seek is definitely on the higher end of the price scale compared to other similar running shoes. At $185, it’s more expensive than the Speedgoat 6 ($155), the Altra Lone Peak 9 ($140), and the Peregrine 15 ($140). As far as I can tell, there are no special or premium features that seem to justify the higher price tag.
Keen Seek Trail Running Shoe: Conclusions
Admittedly, I am not a performance- or speed-oriented runner, but as a hiker and casual runner, I really appreciated how versatile and durable the Seek was.
While not very weather-resistant, this is ultra-comfortable and has replaced both my HOKA Speedgoats and Cliftons for running, and my Scarpa Crux as approach shoes. The Seek performed well not only on the trails but also as an “I’m on my feet all day” shoe.
Will it last 900 miles? That remains to be seen, but so far, I’m hopeful. If you’re looking for a do-it-all outdoor and on-the-go shoe, the Seek is worth checking out.
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