Until the offer came in to review the Keen Roam, I hadn’t really heard of them (maybe I’ve had my head under a rock). A quick look through their range showed a focus on outdoor footwear, sustainability and versatile ‘do-it-all’ designs.
I’d just about worn through a set of INOV8 Parkclaws and the Keen Roam looks to target a similar market: suitability for running over a variety of terrain. It’s certainly a style that appeals to me as much of my running is on road but often includes sections that benefit from some extra grip.
When I first opened the box, I thought these looked great. Almost bordering on a “fashion” trainer rather than a running shoe. Surely taking inspiration from paint manufacturers, the Roam range comes in “Magnet/Burnt Brick” (this review) alongside “Birch/Brindle” and the far less extravagantly named “black/black”. In my opinion, the review pair colour is by far the stand out. The women’s offerings include a “Magnet / Ballad Blue” and a rather funky “Vintage Indigo / Ballad Blue”.
When I first slipped them on they were instantly comfortable, with a thick cushioned sole dubbed “QuantumFoam”, padding all around the heel and a relatively thick padded tongue. The mesh upper appears durable, with protective overlays wrapping around the toe box and heel, along with the signature “K” on the side. The “burnt brick” colour in small areas finishes the design off nicely. The width seems quite generous, which is great for me.
Here’s the features lifted directly from the manufacturer’s website:
- Original Fit has generous space across the forefoot for toes to splay
- Contoured arch for midfoot support
- QuantumFoam cushioning with balanced performance and durability for go-to comfort
- Removable, resilient foam insole for long-lasting cushioning
- KEEN.ALL-TERRAIN rubber outsole for higher-traction grip
- Multi-directional lug pattern provides superior traction
- Eco Anti-Odor for natural, pesticide-free odour control
- RRP £130
What’s good about the Keen Roam?
The Keen Roam were instantly comfortable from first wear. When running they provided stable and well-balanced cushioning through the sole and around the ankle with no rubbing on any of my runs. The grip seems very good for its intended purpose: great on road, grass, dirt trails etc. although I’d probably want something more aggressive for consistently wet or muddy routes. Keen also state that the outsole should last 1,500km (932 miles) before wearing smooth.
They don’t necessarily feel like a “fast” shoe but more offer stability and comfort. The Roam sits firmly in that road-to-trail category rather than being a full trail shoe. With a moderate lug pattern and a fairly high level of cushioning, they felt best on mixed surfaces rather than deep mud or technical terrain.
I’ve recently been on holiday where packing light was key, so I took the Keen Roam as both my running shoes and everyday shoes and this worked fine – performed on the run while also keeping me comfortable walking around an island pretty much all day.
A cool feature is the reflective pattern sewn within the laces. I didn’t flag down any passing cars to ask if they could see them glimmering but anything that improves visibility is a bonus for those winter evening runs and ties in with the intended use of the shoe. I did try to take a picture of this but it didn’t really show the effect.
What’s not so good about the Keen Roam?
I only have a couple of points to make here. Firstly, I find well cushioned shoes can feel slightly awkward when running on a camber, almost like your foot rolls slightly over the edge of the footbed. This could potentially be a sizing issue and certainly isn’t a problem on the vast majority of runs.
On longer runs I noticed a slight ache around the midfoot, possibly due to the shoe tapering in slightly through the arch despite the generous toe box. This is more than likely just getting used to new shoes and a bit more lace adjustment.
Size-wise I drift between a 9.5 and a 10, generally opting for a 10 because of extra width and the 10 in the Keen Roam seemed to fit the bill.
Conclusion
The Keen Roam fills a useful niche for runners who spend more time mixing surfaces than tackling technical trails. Comfortable straight out of the box, versatile enough for daily wear, and capable across road, gravel, parks and light trails – they will even do well over pub carpets. It’s a shoe that prioritises comfort and adaptability over speed or aggressive trail performance.
Over the winter they could easily become an everyday option even for full tarmac runs, giving a bit of extra grip in poorer weather conditions.
Time will tell with durability but despite some discolouration of the white midsole they aren’t really showing much wear and I have high hopes for them lasting – hopefully the predicted 1,500km!
The Keen Roam seem to bridge the gap between running shoes and day-to-day walking / hiking shoes, and could easily be picked up by hikers or even non-runners who may just want a comfy pair of shoes for outdoor activities. Trying these out has piqued my interest in the brand and I like the look of their other trainers, boots and the slightly more whacky looking sandals and slip-ons.
For those wanting something more dedicated to off-road running check out the Keen Seek, which are designed for trail running with deeper lugs but generally look to follow similar design principles to the Roam.
At RRP £130, the Keen Roam are not cheap, but this seems to be a typical price for running shoes nowadays, although it’s worth signing up for the newsletter to get 10% off!
About the Author: Dan Stinton is a former Editor of RunUltra. He’s a Peak District based runner collecting mud and scrapes in and around Glossop, and he likes nothing more than escaping into the Dark Peak and then writing about how difficult it was.
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