In 2024, hit sneakers bloom faster than spring flowers—and in places far more surprising than your local Foot Locker. A freaky French gardening clog is one of this year’s hottest It shoes, and in certain GQ-reading circles, names like Merrell and Salomon are almost as ubiquitous as Nike and Adidas.
Given the wacky state of sneaker fandom today, it was really only a matter of time until the menswear crowd discovered Keen, an outdoorsy footwear brand that’s supplied comfort-first kicks to trailheads since the aughts—and now feels poised for its own moment, thanks to two covetable silhouettes: the Jasper and the Uneek.
The Jasper is a climbing-inspired approach shoe with a uniquely contoured design and tongue-to-toe lacing; it looks more extreme than classic Nike tennis shoes, but way less technical than Salomon’s smash-hit trail shoes. Its pared-down silhouette and tasteful colorways have already endeared it to crunchy hiking enthusiasts of a certain disposition—along with a growing number of stylish fellas who couldn’t rappel down a 5-foot wall. Think of it as a way to dip your toes in the trail sneaker waters without leaping feet-first into true-blue mountaineering kicks.
Eager to broaden your summer footwear horizons? Keen has you covered in the form of the Uneek, an “open-air sneaker” that manages to hit the freaky-cool bullseye—and has quietly amassed a cult following among guys who probably had a popping Tumblr in 2015. The silhouette’s two most sought-after permutations—the Uneek Convertible and the Uneek Sneaker—are both a delightfully perplexing blend of shoe and sandal. The former comes with an easy-to-convert heel strap, the latter with a chunkier, more robust back that’s adjustable for a personalized fit. (By yanking the Convertible’s strap forward, you can also wear it as a backless mule.)
The Uneek, which turned ten this year, has enjoyed one hell of a season. Just last month, Kith formally announced it would stock the style at all of its locations, and Keen has unleashed collaborations with New York streetwear stalwart Only NY and upscale Japanese footwear brand RFW, further solidifying its fashion-world appeal. Naturally, stylish fellas in Japan have long been hip to the Uneek’s particular brand of weirdo cool, as evidenced in many back issues of the beloved magazine Popeye.
Much like the clogs and mules that have come to define post-pandemic footwear, the Jasper and the Uneek trade in the alluring proposition of utilitarian-first comfort. Unlike those clogs and mules, though, the duo also feels distinctly spring-adventure-ready, thanks to their outdoorsy bona fides and practical flourishes. If they don’t pique your interest at first, leave this tab open on your browser for a while and see if they linger in your brain—and eventually make their way into your cart. They might look wacky at first, but to our eyes, they also look a heckuva lot like the sneakers up next.
Read the full article here
