KEENMen's Targhee II Mid Height Waterproof Hiking Boot
G**D
Comfortable, Quality, Smart Design.
Five stars so far..I bought a full size up from my normal size 6 (yes, I am a really small guy) because I wanted room for thick wool socks for a hiking trip. I would have bought a 6.5 size but not available so jumped to 7's.The most hiking I do these days is across the parking lot at work and up 3 flights of stairs to my desk so the padding is a must for my soft soles. I hate buying shoes because they never have my size. My feet are very wide and I have no arches which makes finding the right fit even harder.Usually it takes several painful days for me to break in shoes.These Keen Targhees are "amazing" and I am not exaggerating. They were comfortable from the moment I put them on. I had on thin socks so I cinched the laces, they snugged up nice and tight and fit great. I put on extra thick wool socks and loosened the laces and they still fit great.Today, I wore thick Merino wool socks out in 90 degree humid Missouri weather and my feet sweated less than wearing cotton dress socks and leather loafers in the office. I am not kidding.Another thing, Usually when you get a pair of shoes and try them on, even if they feel good at first, you'll usually find a "hotspot" that seems like something wasn't sewn right and will start to rub and you think, "Well, I'll just have to put up with it until my foot toughens up in that spot. There has been none of that with these shoes.So, I've worn these every day for a week or so and here's my take so far.- Mid-weight and comfortable out the box.-The lacing system allows for a wide variety of fits in a singe shoe and is very sturdy. It incorporates a strap that goes around your heel that allows you to tighten the heel fit so your shoe doesn't rub up and down on your heel when walking. Nice touch.-While water proof, these shoes are breathable and my feet have stayed nearly dry.-The inner-sole is removeable and washable and adds great padding.-The arch support is just right. Some shoes go way over the top with it which can actually put too much pressure on your arch and wind up hurting. These are a sensible mid-range that should work well with many foot arch types.-The fully covered rubber toe cap is legit. It is flexible but seems substantial enough to protect the front end from wear and tear and should extend the life of the shoe. It is NOT steel toe and you are not going to scale any vertical rock faces wearing these.-I don't care about brand names or if my gear matches and even less about fashion but have to say these have a bit of style to them. I've been wearing them with dress slack to work to break them in and have actually gotten a couple compliments.-The soles are flexible but don't seem so thin that you'll feel every little rock you step on.-The fabric loops for the laces are reflective so I would not recommend these for ninjas.Obiviously these are first impressions. I can't say these are the best shoes ever (yet) because I havent put them to the test. That's next week in Colorado if we can find a trail that hasn't gotten blown out by streams flooded by snow melt. But, so far, these shoes have proven to be quality and my admiration for comfortability and attention to design has grown immensely.Update 07/15/2015:The boots were great. They grip well on rocks and uneven terrain. My feet did not blister! :) I wore extra thick merino wool sock wich helped but I attribute it to design as well. My brother had a pair of Vasque boots which have a narrower toe configuration and his toes blistered fairly quick. I'm really happy with this purchase and highly recommend these boots.
J**Y
Great boot, not for extreme cold.
Bought these for a trip to Iceland in winter. Traction is great and boot is super comfortable while walking and taking local walking tours in the city. Off the beaten path they had no issues with rocks, snow and ice. Feet stayed dry. Only “down side” is once they are cold they stay cold which wasn’t a big issue since I’d run the heat in the rental on the feet and they’d warm back up between stops and short hike. We did a 10 hour bus tour and they were cold for the entire 10 hours.. still comfortable but cold.. not knocking off stars since it was 5f (-15c) out..
R**.
Light, versatile, incredibly comfortable GENERAL PURPOSE hiker- personal preference and a summary
The Keen Targhee II men's waterproof mid hikers are surprisingly light and extraordinarily comfortable, right out of the box. The lengthy lace pattern starts right where the toe box meets the boot body and extends well up the ankle, allowing for a fairly custom fit (or for thick/thin sock versatility). Personally, I would prefer one more set of lugs for the laces to make the fit even more adjustable, but that is subjective and the lace configuration works fine. The rubber soles are a bit slick when new, but once roughed up, are grippy and confidence-instilling. I don't know if they will hold up as well as the Vibram compounds I have on other boots, but so far, so good. The 4mm lug pattern is aggressive, but not to the point that you're digging walnuts and rodents out of them at the end of the day. The EVA midsole is solid but has some springy give to it. My feet felt stable, yet flexible. The compound does feel soft so durability may be sacrificed for comfort. Rock-hoppers might see some early damage. The ESS shank is also rigid but has enough give for us high-arched folks to feel okay. Because of my tall feet, I had intended to replace the dual-density footbeds or swap for my super-comfy Salewa beds, but the factory pads actually feel pretty good so I will give them a solid run.The fabric, leather, and "other" materials are all well-conceived and well-used. I am hard on boots and prefer few metal and plastic parts that can bend or break. The Targhee II's deliver with only two plastic lugs at the ankle and reinforced nylon loop/webbing elsewhere. The seam and gusset construction is all smart and highly-functional. Linings are soft and, so far, durable. Even the laces are really nice- typical Keen with an almost abrasive quality to them that helps them lock into lugs and stay tied.If aesthetics are part of your hiking musts, the s***ake/brindle combo is about as benign as it gets- brown and light brown with dark brown accents and a splash of black. Color, aside from the reflective stitching, comes from the yellow lettering on KEEN and WATERPROOF labels- not exactly flashy (save that for your speed hikers!). Touching on the waterproof claim- so far so yep. I haven't spent significant time standing in water up to the collars, but showers and serious puddle stomping- bone dry piggies! I do not engage in significant water-crossing so I do not have a need for more rigorous wet-testing. If, however, anything develops from testing by field happenstance, I will update my review.In summary: If you want a light, versatile, all-day hiker that will get you up the rocks, through the brush, and over the squishy stuff (rain or shine), I cannot imagine finding a better boot for under $200. Pictures are from one of 6 full days (virtually sun up to sun down) hiking/trekking through Ireland in my Targhees with confidence instilling footing, no wet socks, and exceptional comfort. Keep in mind- these are a general-purpose hiking option. They are not designed to be task-specific. If you spend 90% of your time in mud, in sand, on rocks, in snow, etc, get specific gear. If you want an excellent all-purpose option that will handle a reasonable amount of terrain/weather, get 'em.A couple of notes: - These boots are warm on warm days. They do not breathe tremendously well, but you only get so much breathability out of breathable waterproof linings/boots; especially those that employ lots of leather. - Although some other Keens I own run maybe a 1/4 size small, and notes on Amazon's storefront advise ordering 1/2 size larger, the Targhee II's I got are accurate in length. I ordered my regular size expecting them to start out snug, and break in for a better "my feet" fit, but they are a perfect, true 10.5 for me. In fact, since in most boots, I wish they made a 10.75, the Targhee II slightly wider than D girth (my opinion) allows my foot to fill the boot comfortably, with substantial side-to-side adjustability. I can slack the laces for a less constricting experience, or snug them down for more serious terrain and the fit responds perfectly.
K**R
Comfortable but unsure of longevity
They are light and fit very well. I bought them mostly for a bighorn sheep hunt in the mountains. Keen are the best-fitting size 15 boots I can find. I’ve had multiple pairs with multiple uses. These boots broke in easily. On the 4th day I developed a hot spot on my heel that I had to treat before it got worse. The sole is a foam-type material and it’s falling off of the sides of the boots. Yes, I was in the mountains going across multiple scree slopes and put these boots to the test but after 5 days in the mountains I wouldn’t expect the sole to break down like that. The lace system is quick and easy. I didn’t know if it would provide enough support but I didn’t have any problems. If you’re looking for boots that fit guys with bigger feet these are probably one of the best options.
M**S
Great Brand
We love Keen boots in our family. They are rugged. They don't leak, and they are comfortable enough to wear all day and not have your feet hurt. I was pleasantly surprised to find this brand on Amazon on a great sale. I bought a new pair for my husband and he loves them. They are warm, waterproof and very comfortable. I can tell you from years of buying this brand that they hold up very well to rough work conditions and perform very well.
A**R
Great fit
Fit good lace tie hooks help me because I’m disabled
J**R
Comodas
Calidad, comodas y buen precio comparado con otras marcas.
J**.
Cómodas
Me gusta mucho su comodidad. Están excelentes, la talla se ajusta a lo que debe ser, muy probable me compré otras botas iguales.
S**.
Melhor da categoria
Melhor bota no segmento trilha. Muito confortável. Durabilidade, robustez, muito satisfeito!! Tenho dois pares.
W**.
Excellent light-weight light-duty hiking boots
I have no hesitation giving this product 5 stars after using them on numerous hikes over the past summer. I ordered a half size larger than normal and found they fit very well. I would call these light duty boots, certainly handling trail walking in the mountains. The construction appears to be robust, as expected from having many pairs of Keens over the years. I had to replace the insoles to get adequate arch support. Haven't tried them in wet conditions yet but fully expect they will perform as advertised.
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