How to Choose Hiking Boots

Don't let wild weather keep you indoors. Your feet will love the warmth and waterproof leather protection of the men's KEEN Revel IV Mid Polar boots, rated to -25°F for comfort on supercold days.
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Imported.
Best Use | Hiking |
---|---|
Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Type of Waterproofing | KEEN.DRY waterproof breathable membrane |
Comfort Range | -25 degrees (F) |
Upper | Leather/performance mesh |
Lining | Textile |
Insulated | Yes |
Insulation | KEEN.WARM recycled PET fibers |
Midsole | EVA |
Support | Stability shank |
Outsole | KEEN.Polar Traction rubber |
Weight (Pair) | Unavailable |
Gender | Men's |
Sustainability | Contains leather from a tannery rated by the Leather Working Group (LWG) Contains recycled materials |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
UK | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
EU | 39.5 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 47.5 | 48 | 48.5 | 49 |
Foot Length (in.) | 9.6 | 9.8 | 10 | 10.1 | 10.2 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 10.7 | 11 | 11.1 | 11.25 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.5 | 12.8 |
Measurements are stated in inches.
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These boots are a great cold weather choice for the city or trail. These arrived just before the Christmas “Bomb Cyclone” storm hit and my feet were warm and dry. I found these boots to comfortable from the start, requiring no break-in. The foot bed of the boot is wide and stable with ample lugs in the tread for traction in mud or snow. Nicely padded, the boot collars provide good support when properly laced with surgeon knots. These boots feature a metal loop attachment point near the toe box. No instructions came with the boots that indicated their purpose. I thought maybe these could be used to attach the boots to your pack or hang them. I then realized that perhaps they were intended to be an attachment point for gaiters. I attempted to attach my gaiters without success. The loops were just too far forward to function in this manner. Clipped on the loop I could not zip up the gaiters. The gaiters were just not wide enough. I had to clip onto the boot laces as I had in the past.
Bought these boots to wear on a two week trip to Norway. The boots performed perfectly and kept my feet warm even while above the Arctic Circle in Tromso.
REI gave me these boots to test and review. My overall reaction to them has been positive, with a couple of nits. I received these boots just before a two week trip to the D.C. area, where we had intermittent rain and a day of very light snow. Temperatures ranged from 8 to 62 F. This provided me some good opportunities to assess their performance around town and on the trail. The boots went on well, although I had minor issues getting the laces on the top hooks. The gap between the rivet and hook is not wide enough, so you have to position the lace and apply tension to snap it through. Potentially, a greater issue is the tongue. My ankles are a little thicker than most. The tongue design didn't keep it secure behind the boot top in all conditions, potentially giving dirt, snow or water an easier ability to enter. In my case, my pant leg overlapped enough to mitigate the issue during my use. I have sensitive feet, and found the boot extremely comfortable. It felt just a bit large, but less than a half shoe size. I was perfect with a thicker pair of socks on. Also, I don't wear mid-high boots to avoid ankle bone irritation. Nothing like that with these; so comfy! I wore the boot for up to six hours at a time, sometimes driving for up to an hour with them on. I had no breathability or comfort issues. They felt like a big but comfortable pair of slippers! I did not wear them with crampons, but the ringlet for that at the lacing base looked very sturdy. In summary: great feel and fit. The top lace hook access is a bit tight. I'd use my gaiters if I knew I'd be hiking through snow or gravely trails to mitigate the tongue concern. Overall, a good to excellent boot.
Boots did not take long to break in. Very comfortable after a couple days use. The boots are comfortable and warm for the weight. Boots have a noticeable improved grip on snow and ice covered surfaces over other shoes and boots. In the last ice storm, I went outside with other shoes and had difficulties slipping. I put on these boots and had no problem walking on ice covered paths. Boots are waterproof and handled the wet trails that followed the ice. An additional 1/4" of overlap on the top of the tongue would improve the seal around the ankles, but overall the boots function well. The eyelet at the base of the tongue is great for connecting snow gaiters. If you want a comfortable fitting boot with a good basic design, has good traction for all conditions, this is a good option.
The boots fit well despite the website saying they run small They initially felt fairly stiff, especially compared to my insulated Asolo boots, but this was likely due to the leather construction. They quickly lost most of their stiffness after I wore them around the house for a few hours and then by the second mile on my first hike, I did not notice any further stiffness and they were very comfortable. The temperature on my hike was in the low 30s and my feet never felt cold at all. I did remain still on the hike for over an hour as I photographed eagles. The next time I wore them was to shovel the snow on my driveway and sidewalks. The temperature outside was 11 below zero with a chill factor of 25 below zero. I was outside for about 2 hours clearing my home and both of my neighbor’s driveways and sidewalks. My feet stayed nice and warm the entire time. My fingers were very cold, despite heavy gloves and liners, so I know the boots have great insulating properties. I walked along an icy sidewalk to test their gripping properties and I felt exceptionally secure in these boots, even better than my other insulated boots. I have worn these boots on a variety of terrain, from muddy surfaces, rocky areas and on ice and snow and felt secure in every area. I live in the Central Northern part of Colorado and most of the trails around here are very rocky. I thoroughly appreciate the leather construction which provides good protection from rocks and debris on the trail. I would not have normally chosen leather as an option, but I was more than pleasantly surprised with how much I like these boots.
Bought these Men's Revel IV Polar Boot three weeks ago and the timing was perfect to put these boots for a test for Alberta chilling winter. I wore them last week during the extreme cold temperature -25 to -30 degrees and unfortunately I was not happy with these boots. In spite of wearing wool socks under these boots, my toes were cold and freezing and I could not take it more than 15 mins and had to rush home every time I had these boots on. I tried it almost 4 times during the same week and every time I had this cold toe issue. These boots are rated for -32 degrees, but somehow it did not work for me or something wrong with the temperature rating.
Thank you for leaving this review. The -32 degree weather is in reference to frost bite protection, not comfort level as everyone tolerates temperatures differently. We offer free, unconditional, 30-day returns and it looks like your recent KEEN online order is within this window. We understand returns are not ideal, but we're happy to make them as easy as possible. You can create a prepaid return label by following the link below. We will pass on your comments to our product team, don't hesitate to www.keenfootwear.com/contact-us/ if you have any questions or if you would like to explore replacement options. https://www.keenfootwear.com/login/?orderreturn=true
The boots are comfortable and seem durable enough, but after a few wears i noticed the along the front black rubber toe cap it is starting to pull away where a crease forms from walking. Other than that they are great.
had to double sock once it got below 25º or so. Keep in mind this was sitting stagnant around the camp fire an hour or so after activity levels dropped. I was hoping they would keep my feet warm for longer. All it took was a 5 minute walk or take my boots off and expose my feet/socks directly to the fire for a bit to keep my feet and toes warm for another hour. Double socking completely solved the problem though. The factory insoles were terrible for my feet. I normally use custom insoles but thought I would give these a try since they are "insulated". They might have been warm but I had blisters after a 2.3 mile hike with about 30 lbs on in my pack.
Feel and Walk good. Plastic toe wrap has separated after only 3 months of light use. Returning them, and trying another pair of same to determine if they were oddball lemons
These boots look great and fit perfectly - I wear a 10 and they run true to size. I'm more accustomed to zero-drop, lightweight boots, so these come in with more of a heel and are built like a tank. I traveled over streets, gravel, and trails with them and they kept me warm (rated for -20 degrees) and comfortable. Nice styling for a winter hiking boot as well. Highly recommended.