Mybeerbuzz .com Highlights The Keen Utility Red Hook Boots (Review)

If you’re like me, you not only love great footwear, but you also love having the right shoes for the right job….and while I may have the right boots for some of my work, I also love having a boot that can do it all. Today I’ll be test-driving a boot that does it all, and it’s also a boot I know you will love.

Today’s boot comes from Keen Utility, a work-related division of the amazing Keen hiking boots that I know we’re all familiar with. The boot is called the Red Hook and I think you’ll find that this boot is perfect (and safe) for the workplace, but also light enough and robust enough to hit the hiking trails.

As Keen Utility describes it:

Combining the athletic feel and low weight of a sneaker with the durability of a work boot, this soft toe waterproof style keeps you moving through it all.

FEATURES

• KEEN.DRY waterproof, breathable membrane
• 100% non-metallic construction for easily passing through metal detectors in highly-secured areas
• Secure fit lace capture system
• Nylon shank for midfoot support
• Environmentally preferred premium leather from LWG-certified tannery for cleaner water
• PFAS-free, durable water repellent repels water just as well as forever chemicals without harming the planet

MATERIALS

• KEEN.ReGEN lightweight, compression-resisting midsole providing up to 50% energy return with every step
• Oil- and slip-resistant non-marking rubber outsole
• Electrical hazard (EH) or Electric Shock Resistant (ESR) footwear helps provide a secondary source of protection in case of accidental outsole contact with live electrical circuits
• TecTuff® bonded coating in high-wear areas adds more abrasion resistance where it’s needed
• Removable metatomical insole for comfort and support
• Locking non-metallic lace hooks
• Plastic Hardware
• Leather Thickness: 1.60-1.80mm
• Mesh liner provides breathability to help keep feet cool in warm environments

SAFETY FEATURES

• Soft toes help safeguard against minor impact, but are not reinforced with a secondary crush resistance
• Reflective webbing for additional safety and visibility
• Meets ASTM F3445-21 and F2892-18 EH standards
• Meets ASTM F1677-96 Mark II non-slip testing standards
• Outsole and midsole meets ASTM D471-06 903# oil and isooctane chemical resistance standards

I should mention before we get too far that the Keen Utility Red Hook looks great. The boot is brown with black accents and red laces & accents that just scream “classic hiking boot.” The boots weigh 19.12-ounces and it features KeenDry waterproofing. If that’s not enough to convince you that the Red Hook is a great work boot, how about adding in an Electrical Hazard rating and oil and slip resistant soles. 

I put the Keen Utility Red Hook boots on and they immediately felt like I had been wearing them for years. The fit was comfortable and the KEEN.ReGen cushioning hits all the right places. My first test-drive of the Red Hooks included a car wash on an indoor slippery garage floor and they worked great. The slip-resistant soles made the boots feel secure and safe on a really slippery floor. Of course washing the car involves a lot of water, and I’m happy to report that the KEEN.Dry kept my feet dry despite lots of water hitting my boots.

From there I hit the gardens on a rainy day and once again my feet remained dry and comfortable, in fact I hosed the mud off the Red Hooks and my socks were still dry at the end. Thankfully, I didn’t encounter any electricity, but I’m confident that if I did, the EH-Rating would keep me safe.

Of course I had to try out the Red Hooks for the main reason I wear any boots most of the time; and that’s hiking. I’ve mentioned my hiking credentials in previous hiking shoe reviews, but I should re-iterate that my wife and I log hundreds of miles a year and just returned from summit-ing several of the Catskill High Peaks last week.

With that in mind, I’ll admit that I’m really fussy with hiking boots. A small hot spot on your foot may feel like nothing at all when you’re trying on boots, but work that hot spot for 10 or 11 miles and you have a problem on your hands.

I took the KEEN Utility Red Hook boots up our local 7-mile waterfall loop at Ricketts Glen State Park. This trail is lollipop-shaped with plenty of elevation gain, plenty of steep wet rock steps, plenty of mud and lots of places that are mossy and slippery. I’m happy to report that even after 7-miles, the KEEN Utility Red Hook boots still felt really comfortable. I’m even happier to report that the Red Hooks felt secure on the slippery rocks, they kept my feet dry despite some minor dips in the water, and they felt lightweight and agile over the rocky trails….and there were NO hot spots to complain about.

Of course after 7-miles I did manage to bang my boots on some sharp rocks and pointy sticks and I’m excited to say that the Red Hooks were REALLY durable. One rock caught my toe area and would have easily punctured my other hiking boots, but the Red Hooks barely showed a mark on their reinforced toe.

Overall I think the KEEN Utility Red Hook boots really live up to all of their claims. They worked really well on my slippery garage floors, they kept my feet dry, they were light weight, they were extremely comfortable on day one AND still extremely comfortable after multiple high-mile hikes. I have to say that if I didn’t know they were designed as a work boot, I’d think they were simply a great hiking boot, but as I said above I like a boot that can do it all, and the Red Hooks can definitely do it all and do it all really well.

The KEEN Utility Men’s Red Hook boots are available now in the Tobacco/Black color in Men’s whole and half sizes from 7 through 11.5 as well as 12, 13,14 and 15 (and a Carbon Fiber toe version as well @ 21.94-ounces that offers a gray color option)….so get out there and try them for yourself, and when you do try them, be sure to let us know what YOU think.   zzubreebym