Collective term for Hybrid footwear by Keen Footwear. Keen's HybridLife message is "Create. Play. Care." Their initial range, consisting primarily of river sandals and the rubber Yogi, debuted only in 2004 but met with such success the line rapidly expanded to encompass outdoor
performance, rugged, and lifestyle footwear.
Keens are a bit more stylish and upscale than their assumed rivals, Chaco and Teva. However, Keen's lifestyle footwear in
particular the Market Street and Boulevard collections, embrace the concept of urbaneering. Keens are probably the closest thing today to the "rich hippy" aesthetic of the late 1960s and 1970s but are very today. They could be described as
Outside magazine meets Wallpaper magazine but are rugged and functional enough for hardcore dirtbags. Consequently, Keens are often worn by male and female MountainSexuals.
In laid-back areas such as the
Arkansas River Valley of Colorado and in mountain towns such as Buena Vista Colorado, some models of Keens are actually considered very dressy. This makes Keen perhaps the most comprehensive outdoors footwear line available - the possible exceptions being Patagonia footwear and Merrell.
Keen now offers a line of sleek and functional backpacks and bags. These are very useful for travel and urbaneering.
Keen footwear and bags and packs are available only in better outdoor specialty stores such as
The Trailhead in Buena Vista, Colorado.
She - "Those are some really nice looking shoes, but
what's up with that toe?"
He - "They're Keens - the 'Targhee' light hiking boots. They are waterproof, breathable, and very
comfortable. The toe adds to the rugged durability."
She - "Oh, I've heard of Keen. A
friend of mine got one of their packs from The Trailhead in Buena Vista. But it was very stylish - it looked great for a long flight. I didn't know they did shoes, but they look as cool as her pack."
He - "They did shoes before the packs. They make a great full line. You should go to The Trailhead and check them out. You'll love them."
