View Full Version : Keen Boot Experiences?
ksircy24
03-12-2018, 19:19
What have been your experiences with Keen boots?
I realize boots are all about fit, but I'd like to hear some reviews on some different models before I consider them.
Which models have you tried? Which worked well & which didn't?
Feral Bill
03-12-2018, 19:53
I had a pair blow out a seam on a hike in Oregon. Their street shoes, which I wore for years, also are prone to failure. I changed over to Altra trail runners and street shoes. They have a wide foot box, fit me well otherwise, and hold up.
Uncle Joe
03-12-2018, 20:44
I have a pair of Keen boots. I mainly wear on shorter hikes, colder, etc. Mine have done me well but I've only had them a little over 2 years and don't hike in them nearly as much as my trail runners. I did about 7mi in the snow up on Roan last weekend and they did very well. No micro spikes or anything and I was impressed with them. Feet were dry and they handled the snow well. I did go down once but, again, no micro spikes. I think longer trips I'd be risking more hot spots and such in them but they do well for rough conditions. When I got them I was told Keen's "run wide" and I got these because they just felt better in the toe box, though I don't necessarily have particularly wide feet.
Strategic
03-12-2018, 21:58
I wear one of their light-weight designs and love them. I'm on my third pair, but I wear them hard and they still last two or three years of serious mileage. Extremely comfortable, especially with Superfeet insoles.
I dont use high cut boots for hiking or backpacking. I will use mid cuts on ocassion though.
Keen Voyugeur Mids I've come to love for their wide toe box for my squatch feet, durability, sole and overall protection for off trail in abrasive dryish conditions/times in places like the High Sierras on SHR and Kings Canyon High Basin traverses, exploring the Big Foot Tr, and Bailey Range traverse when I want a more protective shoe and the wt isn't that offensive because more moderate MPD avgs than customary are anticipated. I'm on my second pr having experienced very good mileage on both pr.
I don't know about other Keen models other than the low cut Targhee 1 and 2 which Ive gone through probaby close to a dozen pr experiencing excellent well above avg durability and support. Traction of both the Voys and Targhees was excellent in a wide range of trail conditions. Ive done well over 15 k miles in Targhees in mixed terrain on and mild off trail. The heel cushion area is what goes first. Being a ULER my only issue with the Targhees was the wt which led me to Trail HOKA one one and Altra for higher milage fast and light LD backpacking mostly on maintained tread.
I don't know about current Targhee 3 models but I like what I see in the Vent Mids.
I dont use high cut boots for hiking or backpacking. I will use mid cuts on ocassion though.
Keen Voyugeur Mids I've come to love for their wide toe box for my squatch feet, durability, sole and overall protection for off trail in abrasive dryish conditions/times in places like the High Sierras on SHR and Kings Canyon High Basin traverses, exploring the Big Foot Tr, and Bailey Range traverse when I want a more protective shoe and the wt isn't that offensive because more moderate MPD avgs than customary are anticipated. I'm on my second pr having experienced very good mileage on both pr.
I don't know about other Keen models other than the low cut Targhee 1 and 2 which Ive gone through probaby close to a dozen pr experiencing excellent well above avg durability and support. Traction of both the Voys and Targhees was excellent in a wide range of trail conditions. Ive done well over 15 k miles in Targhees in mixed terrain on and mild off trail. The heel cushion area is what goes first. Being a ULER my only issue with the Targhees was the wt which led me to Trail HOKA one one and Altra for higher milage fast and light LD backpacking mostly on maintained tread.
I don't know about current Targhee 3 models but I like what I see in the Vent Mids.
Oh both the Voy Mids and Targhee lows I use on outdoor building job sites, landscape designs, and installations. They are the only shoes that can make a sufficient enough for me transition from the job to the trail. They both last! I do add after market SOLE DK footbeds in place of the stock ones.
Apologize for all these double posts.
Burrhead
03-12-2018, 22:52
I switched to targhee 2's a couple of years ago and like them. They have held up great, get good traction and are comfortable. The original insoles didn't last that long but I replace those with SOLE ultras anyway. I decide to try them after being issued the Detroit steel toe model at work and found them tough, comfortable and able to remain waterproof in a workplace that is pretty rough on boots.
I have hiked in targhees for years. They are my go to shoe and I love them. They have proven to be durable and comfortable. I can wear them from the box to the trail with no issues. Hike on!
illabelle
03-13-2018, 05:43
Another Targhee II user here. Good fit, good traction.
Slow Trek
03-13-2018, 08:42
I don't know the model name,but I put 1200 miles on a pair of mid rise Keen boots (Springer to Harper's and pre hikes),and the sole started to seperate a bit. Sent a photo to Keen,and they sent a new pair free. Great boots,awesome customer service. They do tend to get wet on the inside in any water deeper then the top of the boot....
Another Targhee II user here. Good fit, good traction.I like the wider toebox.
Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk
ADK Walker
03-13-2018, 11:45
Been very happy with my Voyager Mid boots. I have issues with my feet and these boots have worked very well for me. They soak up a fair amount of water if you're hiking in wet conditions.
Red Laces
03-19-2018, 15:51
I've hiked the last few years in the Targhee, great feel, comfy out of the box, my only issue was the lugs on the sides of the sole face forward and tend to peel back as you get into the rocks, rougher trails, trying out Salomon Ultras this year
Odd Man Out
03-19-2018, 20:46
I had some Voyager low tops a few years ago. They had two part soles. After one hike the outer sole tabs that wrapped up sides of the inner sole came unglued. A shoe store reglued them and I still use them for lawn mowing shoes.
MtDoraDave
03-20-2018, 07:40
My experience with Keen:
I'm on my second pair of Targhee 2's. I got about 500 trail miles out of the first pair, then bought the second pair. My reasoning for replacing them at 500 miles; on day 7 of one of my sections, after lots of downhill on rocky terrain, my feet hurt quite a bit... like the rocks were directly under my bare feet. One foot actually stayed sore for over a month. I concluded that the foam sole of the boot had lost its integrity, had broken down. I still use that pair as work boots, and they're fine for that.
Both the first and second pair have had the middle inside lug of the rubber sole come loose from the foam. Shoe Goo and some tape overnight fixes them for a while. Not a deal breaker.
They are nice and waterproof for a couple hundred miles, then stitching stretches or something, and they are only water resistant. Hiking all day in the rain or in wet grass will soak the boots, and eventually your feet - and it takes about 2 days of hiking in dry conditions to dry them out completely.
Traction is great on just about anything but ice.
Perhaps a thousand trail miles, usually with Darn Tough socks on my feet, and not a single blister. The reason I bought the Keen boots to begin with was because I tried on maybe 6 different pairs of boots and the Targhee 2 boots had the best fit. I specifically asked the guy at the outfitter NOT to show me the prices. I didn't want to let price sway my decision; fit was primary. I told him I had wide toes but not wide feet, bring me boots that you think will fit me best in a 11 or 11.5 . Made him earn his money, but it has worked out great for my feet.
I researched quite a bit before my first section hike. I read that if your shoes or boots fit properly and you keep your feet dry, you won't get blisters. My feet sweat so much that on one of my conditioning hikes in FL in late summer, after about 8 miles, the sweat from my feet had soaked the leather part of the boots through! More research (googling) informed me of a supposed Army ranger trick: spray your feet with Aarid xx dry for a week before a trip, and it will have lasting effect on your feet. My feet stay relatively sweat free for about 5 days into my section hikes after doing the Aarid xx dry trick.
Keens are built around a boxy toed last, unlike most boots which have a pointy toe. The Targhee wides are the ONLY boot I've ever been able to find that fit my wide, boxy toed feet well. Up until Targees, I always had to make do with the closet fit I could find. I'm on my 2nd pair, and when the time comes, I will certainly follow these with another.
Pringles
04-17-2018, 08:19
I have a pair, replacing three pairs of Vasque Sundowners. The toe box is wider and my feet are happier. I’d buy them again.
Plain Pete
05-19-2018, 10:11
I had a pair of Targhee for a few years and they were great. I have a short, wide foot(8EEEE)and those old shoes fit. Fast foward to REI last year when the soles of my shoes started peeling, and a new pair. It is possible my feet had changes or the shoe design had changed, but those new shoes tore up my foot. Off they went via ebay. Am trying a pair of Drew hikers which I get through my fat shoe company(Hitchcock).
My husband has Keen boots. He purchased them to wear hiking, but since he tried trail runners, he only wears the Keen boots at work. He prefers the trail runners for hiking and backpacking. Reasons? Keen boots: not as giving as runners; plus, the gortex meant they were difficult to dry out and let's face it... if you are REALLY out on the trail, your feet will get soaked to the point that waterproof shoes don't help--- they actually are worse because once wet, they don't dry! The Trail runners would dry out about 2 hours after walking through a stream...
NOTE: he LOVES the Keen boots for work, where he doesn't need to walk for hours in the rain or traverse a stream. In that scenario, the Gortex is King!