Keen Seek Trail Running Shoe – Reviewed and Tested

Pippa laced up the new Keen Seek trail running shoes because she had a race to win against Puffing Billy (the train – if you know, you know). Oh, and she also wanted to see if they were a good trail running shoe.

I got the Keen Seek Trail Running Shoes fresh off the rack, after they were released in July 2025. Keen put a heap of testing and research into them (check out this sick video explaining the process – scroll to Behind the Design), because they wanted to create a product that was both comfy and durable, aimed at people who love running but are not necessarily professional athletes.

I was so excited to give them a whirl that the day they arrived I drove straight to the Dandenong Ranges to see how they handled a bit of roughhousing. Right from the get-go, I knew they were a winner. I tested them out again a couple of weeks later at the Puffing Billy Running Festival, where I raced the train (unfortunately, I did not win – but that was not the fault of the shoe!).

Pip vs Train – who are you backing?

Why am I the right person to do this review?

I’m a long-time hiker who got into running about two years ago. Combining the two is just about my favourite thing. While I’m no professional athlete, I’m the Keen Seek target audience – someone who loves nature, getting active, and most importantly, running.

In my natural habitat

Quick Specifications:

Weight (per shoe): 244g
Stack height: 39mm
Heel-to-toe drop: 6mm
Women’s sizes: 5-12
Men’s sizes: 7-15
Colours: Safari/Black (the ones I’m wearing, and currently the only women’s colourway available in Australia), Grenadine/Ocean Depths, Black/Sunset Sand, Willowherb/Orange Peel.
RRP: $349.99 AUD

Buy Women’s

Buy Men’s

Performance

Keen says they’ve spent ‘over 20 years eavesdropping on the trails – and our fans – to bring our trail DNA into running.’ It’s a big claim, but one the shoes, from my experience, lived up to. I put them to the test on muddy trails, steep ascents and descents, and a few casual city runs, and they aced them all.

Starting with the grip, they have 4mm multi-directional lugs which give great traction. I didn’t find myself slipping, even when running through wet, muddy and rocky sections of trail. 

The lugs are chunky with sharp grip in every direction

Interestingly, they also don’t feel too obtrusive when running on roads/paths, which is something I have noticed when using previous trail runners off-trail. The Puffing Billy race ended up being mostly along road, with some shorter sections of trail, yet the trail runners felt great for the whole run.

They feel lightweight, yet have good stability and a nice bouncy midsole. The 39mm of QuantumFoamX under the heels and a subtle rocker helps you roll along with little effort. There’s not much info around about what QuantumFoamX is beyond Keen saying it’s their ‘newest, most energetic foam’ built for ‘fluid runs with longer-lasting comfort’ but it’s fun to run in with comfort as the priority.

39mm is a high stack but not unusual these days

Durability

This is tricky to comment on personally because I’ve only had these shoes for a little while. However, Keen is very vocal about their passion for creating durable products as part of their ‘Consciously Created Trail Running Movement’.

The Keen Seek is made with a high-abrasion formulation of Keen-all-terrain rubber, for increased durability and longer-lasting traction. They also state they have an ‘ultra-abrasion resistant performance textile upper’ to increase durability.

They’ve tested these shoes rigorously and have rated them as having ‘925-Mile (nearly 1500km) Durability’. Which is absolutely huge. So you should get plenty of bang for your buck (or should I say, dash for your cash).

The classy white/grey colourway might not last 1500km at this rate

Comfort

The Keen Seeks are super comfy. They haven’t given me a single blister or even the hint of a hot spot. They’re lightweight and airy, so my feet don’t get hot and sweaty and come out smelling fresh as a daisy (well, maybe that’s a stretch). 

In saying this, the furthest I’ve run in them so far has been 15km. I can’t comment on how they’d hold up during an ultra-marathon, but for the fun runs I’ve been doing they’ve been perfect.

Keens have a famously-wide toebox and the Keen Seek are no different

Something else important to note is the Seek Trail Runners have been designed to fit a broader foot, with a wide toe box. Keen says this design is to enable natural toe splay, making them more comfortable for running on uneven terrain. Because my feet are on the narrower side, I found I had to do the laces quite tight to compensate for this, and when I was running down steep slopes my feet would slide forward slightly in the shoe. 

Design

Looks wise, these shoes are subtle – they blend with your surroundings, go with any outfit and are not too obnoxious. But they’re also just not that fun. I love colourful outdoor gear, so I’m excited for when Keen release their other colourways to Australia.

Pretty, but a bit dull for me

They have reflective laces, which are a safety feature for increasing visibility in low-light conditions. The laces are also easy to adjust to your preferred fit and stay tight for the whole run. I much prefer them to the ‘quick laces’ I’ve had on other trail runners, which tend to loosen up as you run, and you end up having to make regular adjustments. However, this is just my personal preference, I know many love quick laces!

They also have a padded tongue and collar with a subtle gaiter, reducing the amount of rocks and dirt making their way under your feet.

Sustainability

Keen is passionate about sustainability – but as they say on their website, they ‘don’t like using the word “sustainable”’.

They say this is because the most sustainable choice would be to ‘not to make anything at all’. However, their argument is that without the sort of products they make, it would be much more difficult for people to get out and experience nature. 

Outdoor brands have an obligation to protect the places we love

Instead, they focus on making conscious choices when designing and creating shoes, and try to minimise environmental impact in that way. Their shoes are built to last, so you should get a heap of wear out of them, they upcycle waste to create their footwear, source materials ethically and have been PFAs-free since 2018.

Keen has a rating of ‘It’s a start’ from consumer sustainability site good on you, and their site doesn’t list any specific goals, programs, or third party accreditation from an environmental standpoint. It’d be great to see this become a bigger focus with more transparency from Keen.

Price

At $349.99 AUD, the Keen Seek trail runners are on the pricey side. But given that I have no complaints, if they live up to the durability they’re claiming, it’s a worthwhile investment. We’ll check back in to see if they get anywhere near 1500km.

Any way you slice it, $350 is expensive for an everyday trail runner – but justifiable if they last as long as they claim

Final Thoughts

In my eyes, the Keen Seek trail running shoes are a winner. They’re comfy, practical, durable, sustainable, have a cute design and have been designed by runners, for runners. Thanks to their wide toe-box, they’re a particularly great find if you’re someone with broader feet. The only downsides are the big price tag, and the lack of colourways in Aus!

‘Gotta go, more trains to race’