Keen Zionic Speed Review

The Keen Zionic Speed is crazy light compared to the average weight of a pair of hiking shoes. It offers reasonable comfort thanks to the soft TPU-coated mesh on the upper. The midsole uses a KEEN LuftCell micro air pocket technology, which gives it good cushion, although we found the floppy fit to impact both comfort and stability. The Zionic has a coating on the mesh, but it is not waterproof at all. This may make it more desirable in hot climates where waterproof membranes are too warm.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Zionic Speed is a minimalist hiking shoe design that radically departs from the normal footwear we tend to see from Keen. We like that they have expanded into this lighter and often more comfortable hiking shoe style, as not everyone needs a super burly shoe for their local trails. Slipping into the Zionic, the fit feels wide (although many Keen aficionados have complained that they are too narrow) and floppy due to the construction. Even when laced up snugly, we felt the sharp, unpadded edge of the ankle cuff digging in.

Slipping into these shoes is also a bit of a task. Because there is no padding around the lip of the ankle, it is easy to feel your sock sticking on this edge. We also did not care for the lack of a tongue gusset, making it very easy to fill our shoes with dirt and debris as we walked loose trails.

Support

The Keen Zionic has a responsive, cushioned midsole and utilizes design characteristics such as Keen Contoured Fit to attempt to create a shoe that is light, supportive, and well-fitting. We were disappointed that it was not nearly as supportive as we hoped. So much of support and stability comes down to fit, and we could never find a snug enough fit to make the flimsy upper mesh material secure around the foot, which led to a lot of unease about rolled ankles.

Despite there being a stability shank, we did not find this to increase torsional rigidity to the point that we'd recommend this shoe off-trail.

Traction

Traction is one area that the Zionic held their own a bit better. With a soft proprietary rubber blend, these shoes have good grip on smooth surfaces thanks to enhanced surface area contact through the large horizontally oriented 4mm deep lugs. That said, we found them to slip a bit laterally, especially in wet or loose sediment. Edging was one area where we found these shoes to be deficient, as there just isn't enough stability to feel comfortable being on the edge of the foot in steep situations.

Water Resistance

The Zionic Speed are not waterproof, as they are not made of waterproof materials, nor do they have a waterproof/breathable membrane. The upper mesh material is treated with a plastic TPU overlay which may keep a very light mist from inundating the shoes, but they get soaking wet as soon as you truly step into water. Note that the model we tested, the Speed version, is not waterproof, but a waterproof versiondoes exist.

Weight

The Keen Zionic scored really well when we took them to the scales, as they weigh a measly 1.58 pounds for a pair of size 11 US. Still, while we appreciate a lightweight hiking shoe, this one saved weight in the wrong places and left us opting for other models that are heavier but have more support and comfort.

Durability

Made of TPU-coated mesh uppers and soft rubber outsoles, these shoes have a lot weak materials exposed that could be affected by rough terrain. It is usually the case that when you opt for lightweight materials, durability suffers, and this is definitely the case with the Zionic. For exclusive use on simple trails, this may not be as much of an issue, though in our testing, we found that the connection between the sole and upper around the thin and narrow toe cap began breaking down.

Should You Buy the Keen Zionic Speed?

We found that this was an okay hiking shoe but not a great one. There are some reasons you may like it, like lightweight comfort for on-trail use, but it does not offer as much value as similarly priced shoes.

What Other Hiking Shoes Should You Consider?