Leap From One Activity to Another: KEEN Roam Review

Like many runners with a shoe fixation, my closet is overflowing with footwear. I have waterproof trail runners, breezy road runners, carbon-plated racers, and nimble, breathable mountain scalers.

But what about shoes for liminal terrain — those runs that take you from your front door along pavement to a wooded trail to a gravel path and back again? For that kind of outing, I’ve been employing the KEEN Roam.

Earlier this summer, the cult favorite footwear brand KEEN, best known for its do-it-all sandals, released its first trail runner. The Seek was designed to be a robust shoe for rough terrain, complete with aggressive traction, a lace garage, and a padded tongue and collar.

KEEN followed that up with the release of the Roam last month. Designed to be a more versatile option, the Roam comes in at a slightly lower price point ($165 versus $185), with slightly fewer trail-specific features. So is it just the Seek-light? Or does it make up for what it lacks in aggressive lugs with its ability to adapt to varied terrain?

To find out, I wore the Roams every day for the last 6 weeks, using them to bike commute, run, ruck, teach PE, and coach.

In short: The KEEN Roam ($165) is a supportive daily driver that excels on gravel and during unpredictable outings where traction is useful. With a cushioned ride and a wide toe box, it is a comfortable option for all-day wear. The less aggressive lugs mean it doesn’t quite have the chops for highly technical terrain, but it transitions well on runs that go from road to trail without tackling big features.

Compare the Roam to shoes on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Running Shoes.

KEEN Roam Review

Size & Fit

I’m typically a 10.5-11 in running shoes, but I usually wear size 11. I went with 11s in the Roam and found the fit to be perfect. I have a narrow midfoot but a wider forefoot, and running shoes with small toe boxes are my pet peeve. The Roams were designed with what KEEN calls its “Original Fit,” which has space across the forefoot for your toes to spread out.

Since I’m on my feet most of the day and since feet tend to swell during periods of high activity, the extra space was much appreciated.

There was one telling day in November when I was about to lead a middle school group on a cold-weather hike and changed into a different pair of waterproof trail runners to help keep my feet warmer. The sudden shift from a wider fit to a narrow one was so uncomfortable that I took a few steps outside and immediately returned to change back into the Roams, opting for cold feet over squished feet.

That said, those with a narrow forefoot might find the spacing too generous in these trail running shoes and prefer a shoe that has a narrower fit.

Comfort

The Roams have a robust 39mm stack height, a contoured arch to support the midfoot, and a Quantum Foam midsole. The result is a shoe that feels supportive and comfortable enough for all-day wear. As a teacher and coach who is often transitioning from indoor to outdoor activities, this was a blessing.

The sneakers I typically wear on the gym floor are cross-trainers with minimal cushioning, and my feet can get sore if I’m wearing them for too long. But with the Roams, I could go from the gym to the fields to the trails with no problem and no soreness.

Granted, for some indoor activities, they weren’t ideal. As a trail runner, they aren’t designed for quick cuts on smooth surfaces, but they weren’t nearly as cumbersome as some other trail runners can feel when worn indoors.

I also wore the Roams while in New York City for a couple of days of exploration. With the kids in tow, this involved numerous piggyback rides and carrying the stroller up and down the subway stairs.

Though it might not have been what the KEEN team had in mind when designing the Roam, my feet were comfortable throughout. I was glad to have such comfortable shoes for the trials and tribulations of the urban jungle.

Performance

The Roams weigh in at 10.58 ounces per shoe. Compared to shoes on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Running Shoes, that is on the heavier end of the spectrum. However, among running shoes and trail runners at large, it is generally within the average range.

These shoes feature 3mm multi-directional lugs for traction, slightly less aggressive than the 4mm lugs on KEEN’s Seek. The Roams also have less cushioning in the outsole.

That said, my runs in the Roam felt plenty grippy and nimble. On a rainy day, I ran with them on the pavement and felt stable. I figured I’d feel a little slippage turning corners, but they held tight to the pavement.

For my trail runs, I frequently took to a path in the woods behind my school. There is a wider coal road with fewer roots and rocks, closer to a gravel surface, with plenty of technical offshoots. I tended to stick to the coal road while running in the Roams, but as I grew more confident in them, I took to some rocky trails with a layer of potentially slippery leaf coverage.

I had assumed I might start to slip and slide a little here as well. However, to my surprise, I did not. The slightly wider forefoot led to less precise footfalls, which slowed me down slightly; however, I was overall very pleased with how these shoes handled both gravel and trail.

Jack of All Trades or Master of None?

It seems like every shoe company has taken a stab at making the proverbial one-quiver shoe — the unicorn that can handle trails, pavement, gravel, and everything in between.

The problem with versatile shoes that are marketed as a “jack of all trades” is that they can end up being a master of none. They might be too grippy for pavement or too smooth for trails. They might be too overbuilt for speedy runs or too streamlined for protective features.

The Roam excels in many areas. It offers a decent amount of grip and protection without feeling too feature-rich for daily wear. But what it does best is allow you to feel comfortable in a variety of environments.

What I truly appreciated about the Roam wasn’t that it was the best trail runner or road shoe in my fleet, but that I could leave the house on my bike in the morning knowing I might be active on courts, gyms, fields, gravel, or trails, and that it could adequately and comfortably handle whatever came its way.

KEEN Roam: Who Is It For?

There is a telling moment in the life of a shoe when you absent-mindedly grab a pair of sneakers as you are chasing a kid out the door. Will you head to the playground or the field? Will you be running after them or sitting on a bench?

I found myself reaching for the Roams time and time again, not because I was testing them, but because, in a pinch, it would give me the best chance for comfort on whatever adventure we happened to be heading out on.

In that sense, the Roam’s versatility suited my needs. For those looking for a specific trail or road shoe, this won’t be the answer. But for those seeking traction on gravel, a grippy shoe they can wear daily, or something that can tackle both light trail and road duty, the Roam will allow you to do just what its name implies.

It’s good for short day hikes and moderate runs on variable terrain. It is also a great choice for folks who like a more spacious fit in their trail runners. The Roam is a reliable option for running, rucking, and exploring.