First Look: Keen Sox

Josh L.
Founder/Chief Editor of Benosh, Josh is a husband and father who loves outdoor activities, from fishing to hiking to skiing, and finds meaning in the journey.

Once again, we owe a debt to our good friends at Keen. After our article on the great Keen Buttes ran and I made a shameless plea for socks cool enough to match their footwear, they responded…with a care package of their amazing “sox”!

I must admit that I didn’t know Keen carried sox until we learned Keen was sending the Buttes, but we here at Benosh are aware how much difference a good pair of socks can make (check out How Smart Are Your Socks here). Keen has recognized the same thing.

First impressions of Keen’s contribution to the sock revolution are very positive. Like some of the best from Smartwool and others, the Keen Sox come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and weights. They’re also available in Lifestyle and Performance, and in Marino Wool and ECO-synthetic.

A quick hike up the local urban wilderness trail revealed that Keen Boulder Canyon light hikers in natural Australian Merino wool were the perfect companions for the Buttes. Breathable, snug, and cool in color, my feet were treated to a great synthesis of light hiking shoe and socks as the hiking gods intended.

The only down side I see is the price—one pair of the Boulder Canyons run $16.95, which to an old-school sensibility is a lot to pay for socks. However, in the effort to save money, a few pairs of naturally anti-microbial Marino socks will carry you a long way…

We’ll run a more extensive article when we’ve had a chance to sample all the sox, but for now the verdict is positive. Keep an eye open for the full review.