How to Choose Hiking Boots

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Hit the trail with women's boots that offer great out-of-the-box comfort and support. Rugged, American-built boots are designed to feel like your broken-in favorites from the first wearing.
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View all KEEN Women's Backpacking BootsBest Use | Backpacking |
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Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Upper | Waterproof premium full-grain leather |
Lining | Premium leather |
Midsole | Polyurethane |
Support | Full-length stability shank |
Outsole | Dual compound rubber |
Weight (Pair) | 2 lbs. 4.7 oz. |
Gender | Women's |
5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 | |
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U.S. Women's | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 12 |
UK | 2.5 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
EU | 35 | 35.5 | 36 | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.5 | 39 | 39.5 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 42 | 43 |
Foot Length (in.) | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 9.25 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.7 | 9.9 | 10 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.5 | 10.9 |
Measurements are stated in inches.
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The footbed is comfortable, with the well-known Keen roomy toebox and firm fit at the arch and heel. Lacing: the good side is that the laces don't budge; downside is the boots are very hard to lace, to the point that my fingers get abraded from trying to tighten the laces! The BIG drawback is that, with fewer than twenty miles on the boots, in typical hiking/backpacking terrain in the Appalachians, the rand is separating from the leather at four points! The loose spots are small, but water did get in at one. Could coat the rand with Shoe Goo, but I will prob return the boots.
I love Keens and I bought these because they looked sleeker and less colorful than other options and they were a good price. I liked the red details, because for some reason I can never find Hiking boots or outdoor apparel that doesn't include shades of florescent vibrancy, pink, or pastels. Give me some Burnt Orange, red, dark green! Why do the guys get all the natural colors? To make a long story short, I got these, I love them, but the details are a dark, purplish pink. A little disappointing. Also, the heel is very short and doesn't have a heel pull to help get the shoes on, so they're slightly difficult to get into without a shoe horn. I'm taking them to my shoe guy to get some sewn on.
I found these lightly used at an REI garage sale in a size 7 -- the size of my other keen boots that also claim to run a half size small (as per they keen website). Liberty ridge seem to run even smaller than most other keens. They are okay with mid-weight socks but get pretty tight when using heavy-weight or wearing a liner pair of socks too. I also find that getting my foot into the shoe is somewhat difficult. That being said, these are nice looking (colors are nicer in person than on the website) and good quality boots, I just wish I would have gotten 7.5!
These were delivered today. They are comfortable on first wear, feel stiff but supportive. The color in the photo is a bit misleading. They are very dark grey and raspberry pink accents. Not red at all. Still like them, but I purchased to match my EMT uniform and we don't wear pink, we wear red. I'll wear these hiking too in cool/cold weather. I wear a 7 1/2-8 depending on the shoe. I went with the 8 and it is just right with wiggle room in the wide toe box.
I have always loved the fit of Keen footwear because of the ample toe box. I typically wear a 7.5, but I ordered an 8 in this model to accommodate my Superfeet insoles, sock liners, and medium-weight hiking socks. Unfortunately, these boots are very tight in the instep even with the laces completely loose. I had to return them for Asolo TPS 520 GV Evo Hiking Boots—which, come in wide sizes and have ample instep space for adding your own insoles. If you have a high arch / instep area like I do, these boots might not work for you. I didn't get a chance to check them out on the trail due to poor fit, so I cannot speak to their durability and comfort. They did look like they were well constructed and if the boot fits...it might just be the one for you.
I love these boots! I tried these with both standard socks and the thickest wool socks I have just for reference. I have a regular sized arch (with a fracture on one of the metatarsals) and a wide foot/toes. I have avg sized heels with a skinny ankle. I ended up ordering a whole size up and I do not regret it! Because I ordered up, they're not hard for me to get on. The shoes are very sturdy and stiff. I need the ankle support though, so it's all good! Fit The toe box is the perfect size for my Sasquatch feet with no discomfort (no toe bunching), but there's not much wiggle on the sides room with the thick socks. My heel fits comfortably without moving, sliding or rubbing against the back of the boot. My arches are relatively comfortable. As I wear them for an extended amount of time, I can feel a normal expected amount of pain at the fractured metatarsal, this is not abnormal with any stiff shoe/boot I wear. However, the stiffness of the boot do not cause any abnormal pain on the tops of my feet than expected. As for the tongue, there are these little waterproof fabric folds on each side (to increase waterproofing), connecting it to the boot which have to be carefully placed so they don't irritate the area near my ankles/ankle area. As long as the foldy things and laces are tied nicely and the folds are properly placed, e'rything is alright! The metal clasps grip the laces and they do not budge afterward. This is nice, because I don't have to get a hernia trying to pull them tight while simultaneously tying them. Love that! Performance These are pretty much 99.9% waterproof. Pared with gators, they'd be fully waterproof. The only water that got in was from the top to the inside. As you see in the pic, I splashed around for about 2 minutes and submerged the boot in the water for 5 seconds. Overall I love these boots! They're perfect for me. I would recommend these to any one with cave woman feet, especially. I don't know how they'd fit on narrow feet though. I'm pleased with the water resistance and with the fit overall. To note, there is no lining, so I don't know how warm they'd be, but I did have a great fit with the thick wool socks, so hopefully, that'd be enough. Great boot!
I saw these online and I knew I needed boot for an upcoming NOLS course so when I drove near an REI I decided to go see if they had them. They did and the people were really nice and told me they would be great for my course. I've been wearing them ever since then and I love them. They barely need to be broken in and they are so amazing
I invested in these boots two years ago and have never regretted my decision! I love hiking and was tired of the poor support my (numerous) previous synthetic boots provided. These boots are lightweight, provide great foot-bed and ankle support, mold quickly to the foot, and prevent 'flooding' when crossing creeks because of their boot/tongue construction. If these ever wear out (doubtful) I would replace them immediately with another pair.
Have not worn them on a long hike yet but they feel good on short ones. They give a lot of ankle support.
I did read the reviews that said this boot was had to get on due to the small ankle opening and the fact that the tongue didn't allow much flexibility for your foot. But I decided to try it anyway and was disappointed that I couldn't even get my foot into the boot so had to return it. Great price but not an easy fit.