‘1 Million Steps’ In KEEN Durand Boots

What will a pair of hiking boots look like after 1 million steps on some of the toughest trails around the U.S.? This summer we’re going to find out!

GearJunkie today launches a project to hike a literal 1 million steps in a single pair of boots. We’ve partnered with KEEN to conduct the massive wear-test with the brand’s just-released Durand boots.

The project kicks off this week in Montana, where GearJunkie contributor and thru-hiker Jeff Kish shoulders a pack and heads onto the Pacific Northwest Trail.

Kish will hike 125 miles — or about 250,000 steps — in the Durands before shipping them onto the next tester in the line.

In total, we will put about 500 miles (1 million steps) onto the same pair of boots over the next couple months.

The treks will span America, from New England to the Pacific Coast. Along the way we’ll update readers on the boots both in images and testimonials from the hikers as they put mile upon mile on the KEENs.

Watch for weekly “boot updates” on the GearJunkie blog and social media. We’ll use the #FollowYourFeet hashtag on Twitter.

About the KEEN Durands: New this summer, and built one by one in a factory in Portland, Ore., the Durand boots are designed to last for years. Indeed, the root of this project is a claim KEEN makes around “1 million step” durability.

The durability comes from solid overall construction and a resilient polyurethane-injection process, which forces the quick-hardening PU in between the upper and the sole during manufacture.

We got an inside look at the process and the building of the KEEN boots live at the Portland factory earlier this spring. See our full coverage of the boot in the post “KEEN Footwear ‘Built In The USA’.”