"Two cords and a sole.”
That’s how KEEN describes its latest foray into funky footwear, and that pretty much sums up the UNEEK (MSRP $100) sandal. After you pull these sandals on, you’ll wonder why the concept took so long to reach the market.
These are not your grandma’s sandals. The stretch cords weave back and forth, loop together in pivot points, and are anchored somewhere within the polyurethane and rubber mid and outer soles.
Pulling them on—yes, you won’t “slip” into these puppies—was a bit of a chore at first, and I thought the 10.5s were too small. But once on, the cording wrapped my feet almost like a second skin, and moved fluidly with each step.
While the siping cut into the bottom of the sole provides good footing when you’re out and about, there’s not a lot of cushioning to protect the foot from sharp rock edges, so these are best at the beach, on the water, or on slickrock in Utah’s outback. Not so much on talus.
Also, due to the weave of the cording, lather your feet good with sunscreen; otherwise you’ll have a nasty Zebra-style sunburn.
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