We created our built-in flex, KEEN.BELLOWS FLEX, to make hiking take less energy, so you can stay out there longer. We’ve been making boots for a long time, and we noticed that boots typically crack and fail at the same place … right where your foot bends. So we added a bellows design to flex easier and last longer.
We've logged many miles of product testing in our brand new Ridge Flex hikers with KEEN.BELLOWS FLEX, including backpacking trips on nearby Mount Hood trails. But we wanted to see what outside gear reviewers thought of our new flex-enhanced design. Some of them cut through our boot to get a closer look at our bellows technology (that was hard to watch!), and they took them out on hikes straight out of the box. If you're curious to see what a difference flex makes, check out what they said:
"This bellows design is really impressive. I love the way it feels on my foot."
– Devin Ashby, Backcountry Exposure
Devin Ashby at Backcountry Exposure was one of the first to try out our new Ridge Flex waterproof hiking boots this winter (as you can see on his snowy hike!). On his 90-minute hike, Devin walks through streams, talks about the pros and cons of wearing a hiking boot, and describes how the flex in KEEN.BELLOWS FLEX feels on his feet.
Check it out (7-minute review):
"You can put it on and go hiking straight away."
– Chase Tucker, Chase Mountains
Chase Tucker at Chase Mountains is a hiker, strength & conditioning coach, and "reluctant gear reviewer." He hasn't worn a full-on hiking boot in "a very long time," but was curious about the physiology aspects of our new flex technology in the Ridge Flex hiking shoe. He tried it out on trails where he lives in Barcelona, Spain.
Check it out (12-minute review):
"Technology doesn't really progress much in the boot world ... the feature of this boot that really makes this boot stand out is that patent-pending KEEN.BELLOWS FLEX."
– Weston Kay, Rose Anvil
Weston Kay at Rose Anvil likes to cut boots and shoes in half to get a closer look at their construction, and our new KEEN.BELLOWS FLEX technology piqued his interest. So we sent him a pair so he could get an inside look at how we built our new hikers with built-in flex.
Check it out (12-minute review):
Feel the difference flex makes. Our new Ridge Flex hiker is available in men's and women's sizes, in both mid and low styles. Let us know what you think. Share how you hike happier and tag us @keen!
