KEEN  Ridge Flex Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots - Men's

These boots are extremely comfortable, but the "bellows" will fail quickly and crack at the folds. I'm honestly surprised REI is still selling these given their failure rate. Keen either did NOT do the testing of the material they say they did, or the materials used in production proved defective. Either way, don't buy these unless you're okay with the gimmick of the flexible plastic not living up to Keen's promises. Mine cracked after only four moderate hikes in six months. Others reported this on the REI site when this model had a similar SKU.

I have been wearing Keen boots for several years now, after the other brand I was wearing was sold to another foreign company and the quality declined. I have experienced the same fit of Keen boots for all the time I have been wearing them. Their rugged construction and fit have allowed me to get at least 300 miles out of each pair, with one of my last pairs going for nearly 500 miles (but the heels were worn down more than I should have gone.) I wear orthodics also and the boots accomodate them easily. They are a bit pricey, but for the quality and fit that is not a problem (and this last pair was on sale so weren't that expensive after all.)

I was hesitant to buy them, but boy, I'm happy I did. When crossing a stream that was 10' I jumped (bridge was gone), figuring one of my feet is going to get wet, but both feet were submerged. To my surprise, my feet were dry. I've never rated a product, but this is the real deal.

Do not buy these boots. I've purchased 2 pairs and both cracked at the rubber flex. This is a defect the REI will not honor to replace or exchange. So much for 100% guaranteed.

I really like the wide foot bed of this boot. No break in required. Like my other Keens they are a quality product. Also, like the water proof protection and traction of the sole. This is a winner.

Size is correct. Very very comfortable and waterproof.

I bought my pair back in May 2022, and have been using them ever since, mainly in the Adirondacks. I mainly do shorter day hikes, but most of the ADK High Peaks I've done have been in these boots. I'd estimate I've put several hundred miles on them at this point - certainly I have done well in excess of 100 individual hikes in these boots. Overall the boots have held up and performed well. I have not experienced any cracking of the flex bellows section that other reviewers have mentioned. This may be due to being in a relatively moist/humid environment up here in the Northeast, not sure. I like the height of these boots (higher than many other "mid" height boots, including some others by KEEN), and the generous toebox is ideal for my feet. I don't really have any serious complaints. When I was first breaking them in the "heel lock" strip rubbed my Achilles tendon a bit, but that quickly stopped happening. The bellows is a potential weak point - a sharp stick could probably poke through. But that hasn't happened to me yet! I have appreciated the boots' flexibility for the most part. One small downside to the flexible design is that when using microspikes with these boots, the spikes' webbing is strong enough to bend the toe of the boot backwards a little bit. This isn't a major issue but it can become uncomfortable if the spikes stay on for a long time. At this point in my boots' career, some of the seams are starting to fail (from worn stitching) and they don't keep my feet 100% dry on especially wet trails. But they are still holding up well considering all the use I've gotten out of them. Still have decent tread depth, and I anticipate getting at least another season or two with them (just did another short hike this afternoon!). My experience has been positive enough that I would order another pair.

Rubber "bellows" began to split with less than 3 months as a PSAR at GRCA.

I’m upset that the Solomon standard is no longer. I have to return these bc of defects, strange folds. Normally they’ve fit like a glove no break in period However the past few pairs the glue has fallen apart and the quality has diminished. I hope they get it together bc these have been my boots for like 8 yrs.

My husband bought these for work. He is a mechanic and needs good shoes! So far so good!