How to Choose Hiking Boots

Like its cousin, Targhee, these KEEN Voyageur hiking shoes offer the same 4-wheel drive traction and stability minus the waterproof barrier.
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Imported.
View all KEEN Men's Hiking ShoesBest Use | Hiking |
---|---|
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Leather/polyester mesh |
Lining | Polyester |
Midsole | EVA |
Support | Nylon shank |
Outsole | Rubber |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 14 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
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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I've been wearing these shoes on a daily basis for years because they're the only shoes that I forget I'm wearing at the end of being on my feet all day. I've tried all kinds of flat shoes, and these are the only ones with the proper foot support and comfort. Originally, I bought them to hike Mt. Baldy, San Jacinto, and San Gorgonio after painfully learning that not just any boot will do. Then, scaled down to local hikes and daily wear. And, yes, the rubber soles are starting to delaminate now, which is why I'm on this site. However, that's the only issue, and after about 12 years of wear and tear, I think that I'm satisfied with these shoes' performance. I'm going to superglue the soles and avoid all the nonsense that I'm reading in the other, more recent, purchase reviews here.
See attached photos of "Voyageur" bought in 2015 ("1012218") and 2016 ("1002570") and ruler measuring both widths, with 2016 shoe in back. Outside width of 2016 is more than 2/10" narrower. Feels that way too, inside, across the ball of the foot.
I am baffled by the negative reviews, but we all have unique feet. I must have Keen feet. I hike extensively in my Voyageurs daily (use a boot drier and alternate pairs). I have separate Voyageurs for commuting to work. I have older pairs for gardening. I have taken Voyageurs to all the continents (didn’t go on shore with them when on Antarctica). They are dependable and comfortable. Yes- they do fall apart. The soles delaminate. The laces stretch. The tread wears out. However, After many hundreds of miles of use. What I get out of this shoe is very much worth the price. I have no affiliation with Keen or other similar entity. I have personally paid for all my shoes.
After second outing on the AT (combined total of about 10 hours hiking), the dark rubber part of the soles (someone else called "bear claws") peeled away from the shoe. I was ticked. Bought Shoe Goo to reattach, but if anything else comes apart over next few outings, these shoes go back to REI. The square toe is perfect for my big feet (15), but I do get a sense of a high center of gravity in them as I torqued my ankle several times. I think the heel base should be wider to add stability - just my opinion. Handsome shoe, yes, but now that I have read the reviews, I probably would have avoided this shoe had I not been in a rush to find a good fit.
I walk/hike more than 70,000 steps a week (~40 miles a week)over paved roads/trails, dirt/gravel roads and trails, and cross-country unimproved trails. Typically I do at least one long hike a week (20,000 plus steps on very rough unimproved trails). I purchased these shoes several weeks ago to replace a set of merrells that I wore out. Unfortunately, after about 5 miles in these shoes, my feet hurt, and the front seam where the tongue meets the shoe starts to chafe my foot just behind my toes. I had hoped that they would break-in, but so far no such luck. While these shoes are fine for hikes of less than 5 miles, they are definately not for long walks/hikes.
I don't know why they are called cross training, but then in the discription called hiking shoe. They are certainly a capable backpacking and hiking shoe. I just completed a 2 day backpacking trip for 15 miles in the Yosemite area and they are very comfortable, roomy and stable. They are also much cooler than my pair of Goretex hiking boots. The only problem I had is the lace pressure on the top of my left foot. After the first day of hiking it felt as it was hit with a hammer. Now I make sure and lace it very loose, but surprisingly my foot is still very secure and stable in the shoe. Hopefully this will get better after they break in.
When these arrived I was suspicious; the lower quality, compared to similar Keen shoes that I bought just 2 years was obvious. 3 weeks later, when the entire sole came off, after normal walking and gardening, it was really obvious.
This is the third pair of these I have had in as many years. I like the Keen's because they are durable, breathe relatively well, and most of all because they fit my wider feet well. Not sure what happened with this years run, but the quality is lacking. I walk on rocky/gravely terrain 7 days per week, though not really all that far. I found that the sole seems to have lost it's cushion, and the top part of the heal cup's fabric and cushioning have worn through...and that was after just 4 months. I got rid of the last pair simple because I wore them out after a year of hard use. Pretty disappointed with this latest production run.
This year 2018, I bought the same style and size -- Keen Men's Voyageur -- as I did in 2014. I put them on and thought they felt a bit small. I thought they would break in and get larger. NOT. I think they are slightly smaller. Read review by Ecgtheow, who claims the 2016 model is 2/10" narrower. I fear this may be true. Too bad, as I like the space in the toe box. I live far from a store, but being ever hopeful will try the next size up. Yes, as noted in other reviews, sole material wears fast. Shoe laces ALWAYS come untied. KEEN --- Why did you change your last?
I bought these shoes last weekend, and have maybe put about 20 miles on them and they are starting already to fall apart. I should have believed the reviews that I read, but they were so so comfy when I tried them on I thought "maybe these shoes will be better than the ones that everyone else bought and reviewed," Well this was not the case, take a look at the pic. You can see that the whole sole on the left shoe is coming off! The tread is also starting to wear and become slick.