Keen have gone fast and light with their new Venture waterproof hiking shoes which look every part the swift walking footwear companion.
Rather serious looking TPU overlays tighten up the lightweight mesh upper in the ankle and heel area with Keen's KONNECTFIT heel-capture system doing a great job of locking the foot into the shoe. A stability shank delivers lightweight support to the sole and offers protection against jagged rocks and roots, while 4mm multi-directional lugs provide excellent grip across varied terrain and have good mud shedding capabilities.
The EVA midsole has a lively feel as well as giving good additional protection from the trail without feeling disconnected from the ground beneath you.
We found the fit and build quality inside to be excellent, with no noticeable hot spots developing, and being quite form fitting there's a good level of precision so light scrambling isn't out of the question. You also get Keen's CLEANSPORT NXT treatment inside which provides natural odour control and despite the KEEN.DRY waterproof membrane we found the Venture shoes quite breathable on test, even in moderately warm weather.
A variety of colour options are available, these are sporty looking shoes in all of them so if you want to tone down your look then we'd recommend either the dark olive or black.
Overall, we like the direction Keen have taken with the Venture, they're one of the best fast and light hiking options available at the moment and also have the versatility to be worn as your go-to multi-sport shoes.
