Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • THE GEAR SHED

Leaving Good Footprints

  • June 16, 2021
  • Sarah Bulford
Total
5
Shares
5
0
0
0
0
0
Total
5
Shares
Share 5
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

words :: Don Tomas // sponsored by KEEN Canada.

Ever heard of the holy grail of hiking boots? Me neither. That’s because such a thing doesn’t exist—there are simply too many feet and too many trails on the planet for a one-boot-fits-all scenario to ever play out. But can a hiking boot triumph in any condition it leaves its footprint on, while leaving a positive footprint on nature?

I’ve never worn KEEN hiking boots before, so, with no expectations I laced up a pair of the new Men’s Ridge Flex Waterproof Boot and stepped into my vast and varied backyard known as the Coast Mountains of B.C. Hiking anywhere in these mountains requires a hiking boot to do more than just get you safely from A to B. You need enough sturdy ruggedness to keep your feet warm and safe, enough waterproofing to keep them dry, and enough traction to ford streams, climb boulders, walk across slippery logs, bootpack through alpine snow, and scramble across granite boulders.

IMG 4815
Passing the grip check!

After putting them through a few thousand paces, were KEEN’s Ridge Flex Waterproof Boots tough enough to pass the holy grail trifecta of testing criteria below?

COMFORT

A perfect fit out-of-the-box is always hard to achieve, and mine didn’t fit perfectly…until I laced them up. Although the laces were a couple inches too short, the “Speed-Lace” webbing system gave my feet a nice warm hug and kept them nice and snug for hours. They look heavy, but they’re possibly the lightest boots I’ve ever worn. Pass.

IMG 4771
Walk the walk.

DURABILITY

Here, they shine. Hikers who really want a proper boot will be stoked. Their new ‘bellows’ technology (always good to see innovation!) prevents cracking in the most-worked area of the boot, and they’re tough enough to handle anything you want to walk across. And they’re fully waterproof too. Pass.

IMG 4855
Boots built to last.

TRACTION

Above all else this is what I care most about when hiking. Traction equals trust for me. Without it, serious injury is one step away from ruining your entire season. An absolute must is positive grip on wet rocks and logs, and that base is covered with an all-terrain rubber outsole with enough grippy lugs to keep the trust factor high. Pass.

IMG 4846
Traction equals trust.

Now, back to that “leaving a positive footprint on nature” part. It seems that KEEN really does care. The brand strives to leave the world a better place than they found it, by giving back, taking action and reducing its impact on the planet. Ridge Flex boots, for example, are made with environmentally preferred premium leather from an LWG-certified tannery. Since 2003, KEEN has donated more than $15 million to nonprofit organizations and causes around the world through grant-making, board service, and shoe donations. They even print it on their insoles!

Holy grail or not, if you’re into a proper lightweight hiking boot that you can take pretty much anywhere, these are as close as you’re gonna get.

Lace ’em up and go search for your own holy grail. Just make sure you leave only footprints.

Nature Immersion for Health and Well-Being

Total
5
Shares
Share 5
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Adventure
  • adventurelife
  • boot
  • gear
  • geartest
  • hike
  • outdoors
Sarah Bulford

Previous Article
Web Large FFG 024 derrington cc
  • Features

Four-Fifths a Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All

  • June 15, 2021
  • Mountain Life Media
View Post
Next Article
A Brave New Riding World Mont Loup Garou Sainte Adele ALAIN DENIS
  • Mountain Biking
  • On The Trail

Une nouvelle réalité cycliste / A Brave New Riding World

  • June 17, 2021
  • Mountain Life Media
View Post
You May Also Like
Fjallraven-Nuuk-Parka-daniel-blom-photo_jacket
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: Multisport Winter Roundup

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 26, 2023
Season-Pass-Skis-and-Splitboard-both
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: New Season Pass Skis + Splitboard Exclusive to evo

  • Mountain Life Media
  • January 15, 2023
Smith-Survey-JR-helmet-matteBlack-greenMirror_3Q
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: Smith Survey Jr. MIPS Helmet

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 14, 2023
Arcteryx-Thorium-collage
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: January Picks

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 12, 2023
Appalachian-Gear-Company-All-Paca-Fleece-Gaiter
View Post
  • CAMPING GEAR
  • FALL GEAR
  • SKIING GEAR
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Appalachian Gear Company & the Magic of Alpaca

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 10, 2023
dakine-baron-gore-tex-index-womens-mitt
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Dakine Baron GORE-TEX Index Mitts Feature New ePE Membrane

  • Ned Morgan
  • January 4, 2023
Hunter-Womens-Play-Vegan-Shearling-Insulated-Tall-Rain-Boots-above
View Post
  • FALL GEAR
  • SKIING GEAR
  • SPRING GEAR
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Gear Shed: Hunter Women’s Play Insulated Rain Boots

  • Ned Morgan
  • December 28, 2022
Sabre-Anorak-Phenom-Bordeaux-Pit-Zip
View Post
  • THE GEAR SHED
  • WINTER GEAR

Freeride Ace: Arc’teryx Sabre Anorak

  • Ned Morgan
  • December 21, 2022

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Featured Posts
  • Life-Time-Grand-Prix-gravel-bike 1
    New Docuseries Profiles the World’s Elite Off-Road Cyclists
    • January 30, 2023
  • Fjallraven-Nuuk-Parka-daniel-blom-photo_jacket 2
    Gear Shed: Multisport Winter Roundup
    • January 26, 2023
  • Brian-Hockenstein-surfing-Iceland-water-and-ice-ML 3
    In the Land of Water & Ice
    • January 24, 2023
  • L'Hymne-des-Trembles-Laurentians-Quebec 4
    L’Hymne des Trembles: Uncompromising Laurentian Skiing
    • January 27, 2023
  • Marie-Pier-Desharnais-A-Womans-Experience-on-K2-flag-crop 5
    Marie-Pier Desharnais: A Woman’s Experience on K2
    • January 23, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • Wachs_Fairly-Mellow
    Friday Flick: “Fairly Mellow” at Fairy Meadow Hut
    • January 20, 2023
  • Paul-Manning-Hunter-Kananaskis-River-surf
    Behind the Photo: Rockies Edition
    • January 19, 2023
  • knorthphotography.Beverly-Glenn Copeland-crop
    Beverly Glenn-Copeland: Finding the Universal Broadcast
    • January 17, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
Winter commute with #mountainlifer @michelle_pittam ❄️🚵‍♀️🌲
@lhymnedestrembles.ca is no mirage. Set in the lush Laurentian forest, yet easily accessible (less than an hour and a half from Montreal), this luxurious ski-in ski-out residential resort by @groupebrivia is nestled at the foot of the Versant Soleil side of Mont Tremblant. The Tremblant region is a perennial destination for outdoor enthusiasts from around the world, and within the province, attracting 3.5 million visitors annually.
ML staff and gear partners highlight the latest jackets, boards, crampons, hoodies, insoles and bindings in alpha order. #Linkinbio to learn more!
Adventures like this one require an inspiring team. @timemmett is a longtime friend, adventure partner and extraordinary human; an explorer, pro climber, surfer, freediver—you name it. @luca.freediver is an incredibly talented freediver, fresh off breaking the Canadian national freediving record (85 metres). The fourth man on the team, @brianhockenstein, is a filmmaker and multi-talented snowboarder always ready to jump into the fray and capture the magic. - words Jimmy Martinello. #Linkinbio to learn more!
We came in search of the connection of the human spirit to both art and adventure, whether climbing from the depths of moulins and ice caves, breaking through ice while paddleboarding fjords, climbing icebergs, freediving between tectonic plates or surfing cold waves.
A thousand and one things could have gone wrong, but she made it to the top:  @mariepier.desharnais is the first Quebecois woman to climb K2.
Mountain Life is a proud member of the @printreleaf_ community. So far we've offset our print by having 1,737 trees reforested since joining in 2019! 🌲
GUESS WHAT! It's FRIDAY! Here's a flick to kick off the weekend for all you warriors.
Behind the scenes of three action photos from ML’s Rocky Mountains edition.
The @banffmountainfestival 2023 Signature Image Search is on🚨
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Winter commute with #mountainlifer @michelle_pittam ❄️🚵‍♀️🌲
@lhymnedestrembles.ca is no mirage. Set in the lush Laurentian forest, yet easily accessible (less than an hour and a half from Montreal), this luxurious ski-in ski-out residential resort by @groupebrivia is nestled at the foot of the Versant Soleil side of Mont Tremblant. The Tremblant region is a perennial destination for outdoor enthusiasts from around the world, and within the province, attracting 3.5 million visitors annually.
ML staff and gear partners highlight the latest jackets, boards, crampons, hoodies, insoles and bindings in alpha order. #Linkinbio to learn more!
Adventures like this one require an inspiring team. @timemmett is a longtime friend, adventure partner and extraordinary human; an explorer, pro climber, surfer, freediver—you name it. @luca.freediver is an incredibly talented freediver, fresh off breaking the Canadian national freediving record (85 metres). The fourth man on the team, @brianhockenstein, is a filmmaker and multi-talented snowboarder always ready to jump into the fray and capture the magic. - words Jimmy Martinello. #Linkinbio to learn more!
We came in search of the connection of the human spirit to both art and adventure, whether climbing from the depths of moulins and ice caves, breaking through ice while paddleboarding fjords, climbing icebergs, freediving between tectonic plates or surfing cold waves.
A thousand and one things could have gone wrong, but she made it to the top:  @mariepier.desharnais is the first Quebecois woman to climb K2.
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.