Sleek & Easy to Walk in! The Evolved 'ZIONIC' Shoes by 'KEEN'

The American outdoor footwear brand 'KEEN' launched its new collection, 'ZIONIC', which seeks speed and agility on trails, leveraging the know-how of the hiking shoes they've developed so far.
 
Having loved KEEN's shoes for mountain walks and currently wearing my second pair, upon seeing 'ZIONIC,' I thought, "Wow, it's entirely changed." So I visited KEEN Japan G.K. and asked Atsushi Nakagomi, a merchandiser, about the features of the new collection.

A significant feature of KEEN's hiking shoes is the use of a wide last and a 'toe box structure' that provides a roomy toe area. It's easier to move your toes within the shoes, making for stable walking. As a user, I feel that it's less stressful and not easily tired.
 
Nakagomi says, "The hallmarks of KEEN's hiking and trekking shoes from the company's inception are the ease with which you can move your toes. More specifically, our original sandal, 'NEWPORT,' already had a space that allowed for easy toe movement and provided protection for the toes. All our hiking and trekking shoes have evolved from there."
 
This is an evolution in the opposite direction of lightening and casualizing heavy mountain boots. Instead of starting off with mountain shoes, they evolved the comfort of outdoor sandals to go further and higher. The outdoor shoes led by 'TARGHEE' evolved from there, and 'ZIONIC' was born.