Watch Out, Red Wing Classic Mocs, This More Affordable New Boot Is Coming for You

The limited-edition Noon Goons x Keen Utility Boot is a pleasantly surprising step for the latter brand — and the price is nice, too.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published October 14, 2024

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Updated October 14, 2024

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Play word association with the term “classic moc,” and the brand that comes almost immediately to mind is Red Wing. The Minnesota-based brand offers a number of high-end varieties of the style in its heritage line, and they’re widely recognized as some of the finest.

While Keen Utility’s stock-in-trade is very much function-focused, Noon Goons taps into more relaxed SoCal subcultures.

However, an unlikely new collab from a couple of West Coast brands is making a play for the space, and it’s got our attention for both its looks and its price point. Meet the Noon Goons x Keen Utility Boot aka the Cincinnati 6″ Boot (Soft Toe) x Noon Goons.

Keen Utility Cincinnati 6″ Boot (Soft Toe) x Noon Goons

$250 at Keen

Noon Goons x Keen Utility Boot

The new boot is re-envisions a popular offering from Portland, Oregon-based Keen — and more specifically its workwear division, Keen Utility — the original Cincinnati 6″ Waterproof Boot.

But while that product has a distinct work boot vibe, the input of Los Angeles-based Noon Goons places this new interpretation firmly in the street style space.

That makes sense, because while Keen Utility’s stock-in-trade is very much function-focused, Noon Goons — based in the Fashion District of downtown LA — taps into more relaxed SoCal subcultures.

keen utility x noon goons boots kenneth cappello bike — You can almost *hear* “Garden Grove” playing in the background.

The result is a boot boasting a number of style-forward touches, pairing a premium brown leather upper with a brown patent crocodile-stamped leather collar, gold eyelets and fireman laces.

Adding to the vibe is lifestyle imagery shot by Kenneth Cappello, a renowned photographer with no shortage of experience at the cross-section of fashion, celebrity and music.

Even so, thanks to Keen Utility, these boots still carry plenty of performance bona fides. They feature a durable 360-degree Goodyear rubber welt, air-injected, comfort-oriented LuftCell underfoot and a heavy-duty outsole.

keen utility x noon goons boots kenneth cappello kickback — These boots have the chops for hard work, but you can most definitely kick back in them, too.

Said outsole is not only oil-, slip- and heat-resistant but also EH-rated, protecting you from shock if it accidentally comes into contact with live electrical circuits.

Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention the fact that while this collab is pricier than the $190 Cincinnati, it come in well under Red Wing’s classic mocs. It most closely resembles Style 8138, which costs $299.99, and Style 1907, which goes for $329.99.

In other words, while Red Wing might not be shaking in its proverbial boots just yet, it might want to watch its back.