Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

I've had these boots for almost two years and today they decided to die by tearing apart at the seams. I'm so very sad I'm running out to get a new pair first thing in the morning as I just don't know what I will do without them. I do a lot of day hiking in mostly moderate PA terrain but these guys have hit trails of all types all over the country. I figure I've put in a good 1000 miles on them so I'll share what I know:

The Good

-Just so darn comfortable out of the box. My closet is filled with boots that I bought that I thought I could break in but it just never seemed to work out. I've never, ever, had a blister from these boots. On super long day hikes, once your feet start swelling, I've never felt that painful toe pinch that all my other boots have given me. They just fit so well. They do run small so buy 1/2 to a full size bigger than normal.

-The traction is amazing. You will fall over from losing your balance long before this boot let's go. These boots walk the fine line between good support and flexibility to do climbing or running when you need too. Just a great multipurpose boot.

-The laces stay taunt even when untied. I find this to be a big deal because sometimes yes, you know you laces are untied but you just can't deal with it at the moment for some reason. With these boots you could essentially do a whole hike with your laces untied.

The Mediocre

-Waterproofing. This is a pro and con. The waterproofing was great the first 6 to 8 months then it just gradually declined until it was gone. I had to start treating the boots every few months to keep them remotely waterproof. I've never had a pair of lightweight boots that kept their waterproofing so this is to be expected.

-They died. I've never worn a pair of boots so long they died. From what I've read 1000 miles is about right but still I was surprised.

That being said, for the price, and the many happy miles I will be buying them again.

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

I'm a big fan of Keen products. I have wide feet and medium-high arches, and they are the only hiking shoe I've had in a long time that is wider than a medium width and doesn't require a separate orthodic to get decent arch support.

Being prone to heel blisters, I was worried at first, but I have not gotten a blister yet. I would recommend them to anyone with wider than normal feet and arches. However, make sure to buy a 1/2 size up as Keen shoes are sometimes cut a little small.

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

I bought these boots for a 3.5 day, 60 mile backpacking trip with significant elevation gains and losses. They were definitely up for the task. It only took a week to break them in. While the weather was clear, we did have to ford several small to medium sized streams and my feet stayed nice and dry. Not as stiff as other backpacking boots, they had a nice amount of give that made stream crossing and light scrambling easy. But they were still stiff enough for carrying a 30 lb pack. The rubber toe cap is nice for clumsy people like me who seem to trip on every decent-sized rock. The boots just bounce right off rather than getting caught. Keen shoes size a bit small, so buy a half size up from your usual. They are also a bit wider than other boots, which I like, but are narrower than Keen casual shoes. All in all, I abused them on their first trip out and my feet are super impressed!

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

One of three pairs of shoes I took on a 7 week trip around Europe. (city walking, hiking)

Good ventilation for the most part. As for the water proofing, they're great for normal rain and hiking in wet terrain, but in a storm the water breaches the shoe through the top and they take a while to dry out (and they don't breathe as well damp). The padding around the ankle and the general ankle support was awesome. Great arch support too! Boot laces stay tight even when top becomes untied. The tread overall was pretty durable and had good traction, but some of the rubber sole separated from side of one boot.

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

I wear mine all year long although in winter I have to stick a foot warmer in the toe on extremely cold days when outside for long periods. The arch support is also very good and I love that I can wiggle my toes and no more callous' between pinched toes. I have three pairs cause I can let one pair dry and wear another pair. Also I have the fear that now that I found a great hiking boot that they will stop making this model. I hike with only one pair of wool socks with no problems. I recommended these to several other hikers just yesterday. I do not have problems with feet slipping forward and toes getting jammed. Best of all the laces are none slip so I don't have to keep reajusting and they rarely untie like the previous brands.

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

I looked for these boots after reading the reviews here and on some other sites and I have to say, I loved the way they felt the moment I laced them up. They are very comfy, with excellent support through the arches. I normally use superfeet in all my hiking and backpacking boots but I haven't had to use them with these boots. They are warm, without being sweaty. They have great traction, even on wet terrain. From Denali Park AK to Yosemite CA, hiking in the mountains or walking along a park trail, these are fantastic. The only caution I would give those in search of a good pair of mid-weight boots, is that these run really small. I usually wear a 7 to a 7 1/2 and I had to buy an 8 1/2 in these. All Keen's seem to be the same though, my Keen sandals are also a full size larger than other brands.

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

Let me begin by saying that I research EVERYTHING before I purchase anything and spent hours on-line researching different hiking boots. I love my Keen sandals, so when looking to replace my hiking boots, it seemed like a no brainer to consider these.Everyone on the REI site seems to rave about these boots and other on-line reviews also gave them high marks. Imagine my surprise when the sales clerk at REI did his best to talk me out of this boot. He said the Keen boots are returned to the store more often than any other boot. Major complaint is they come apart at the seams. He also said his girlfriend had a pair and hated them. I trust the sales people at REI (after all, most are more active than me) He pushed me toward a few others so I spent almost 2 hours trying on 10 different pairs of boots at the store. When I slipped on the Keens, my feet were in HEAVEN. They felt like a pair of slippers and I wasn't in any rush to get them off. All of the other boots felt hot and I couldn't wait to get them off during the short time I had them on. Make sure you utilize the climbing rock in the store. If your toes push against the front of the boot going down hill at all, don't get them! Your toes will be miserable during a long hike!In the end, I ignored the salesman's advice and bought these boots. Here's what I'm getting at.... think of Cinderella. Get the pair of boots that fit YOUR FOOT. One person's poor fit might be your dream boot. Take another person's opinion/experience with a grain of salt. Each of us have different shaped feet and our hiking experiences will be different too. [...] Until then, I have never owned such a comfy pair of shoes. I recently spent a week in Tahoe hiking and my feet didn't hurt a bit the whole time I was there. The laces stay tied (which drives me crazy if they dont!) and my feet were not overly hot. My feet didn't throb a bit after any of my hikes. They don't even require braking in - I assume in part because the area under the laces is clothe so it is not stiff, like leather. I would recommend these Keen boots over the less expensive keen hiking boots if you are debating between the two. This pair has a spine (I think that is the correct term) in the sole which provides more support and provides protection from sharp rocks and other things you may step on. Flex the soles of both shoes to compare and you will see what I mean.

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

After reading all of the reviews and getting great advice, I found a pair of shoes that will go on a few trips I have planned out soon. I'm normally a 7 and opted for the 8.5(my normal size for a running shoe) since these shoes do run small. I have a wide toebox area and a narrow heel but with these, and I have plenty of room in the toebox. No more pinching toes like my last set of boots! I would normally wear my trail runners hiking because of this problem but I feel great in these boots. With my green superfeet and hiking socks, these shoes fit great. No hot spots or slippage.

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

This is my first pair of Keen footwear, and after about a month, I absolutely love them! I initially wore these boots on my daily treks around campus just to break them in, but now I wear them all the time because they are warm, 100% waterproof, and offer such great traction in winter weather. (And it turns out it only took about 2 days to break them in.) I have taken them snowshoeing several times and have no complaints. Because they are a mid hiking boot, I paired them with wool socks and a decent pair of gaiters and had no issues whatsoever. Fantastic multi-sport boot.

Comments about Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots - Women's:

I have become an occasional hiker, someone who'll hit a moderate or strenuous trail every once in a while. I found that my tennis shoes just weren't cutting it - not enough traction or protection when going over big rocks. I did research, trying to find GOOD hiking shoes for women, and came across these. This model had good reviews on many sites on the internet, including REI.com. I went to our brand new REI store in Charlotte to buy a pair before a weekend day hike. Granted, I wear a 9.5 in dress shoes, a 10 in tennis shoes - I had to buy an ELEVEN in these, so they do run quite small. When we finished our hike several hours later, my feet were not hurting (notice, I did not break them in prior to the hike!), and I found the trail, which I had hiked ONE WEEK prior in my sneakers, to be much easier to conquer in these shoes. It was much easier to go over rocks and climb. I love my boots, in fact, they make me want to go hiking a lot more often!