NEVER PURCHASE FROM KEEN!!!
These are absolutely terrible boots that don't last, the customer service rep even told me that the tarhegee II was not made for hiking. How is a hiking boot not made for hiking? the soles came off at just about every point on the shoe within 30 miles, and when I contacted them they made me go through all these hoops, they finally agreed to send a new pair of boots but a different model ( I cant recall which one). upon receiving the boots in the properly named box, I assumed it was the boot I was told I was going to receive. after hiking 30 miles in white mtn. national forest I contacted them again and told them my boots were falling apart. It turns out they sent me a less expensive boot from the ones I originally bought. they insisted that I send them pictures of the inside of the toungue to observe the tag. the funny thing was it was just a white square ( it was like this as soon as I bought it, but did not suspect any foul play would occur) with that and the fact that the boots were already destroyed, I sympathized with them that this in fact was the boots they sent me and this was the wear that had occurred. they then started to accuse me of lying to them and trying to scam them for a free pair of boots and really insulted me. I could not believe what I was hearing from them and the situation I was in. after that I vowed to them that I would make sure I would do what I can to make sure other thru hikers would not go through the same ordeal. I was very displeased with the whole experience.
CoreyMPCT2014 at
REI on
11/11/2013
Great! then...Meh.
I bought these with hesitance as a replacement for my old, worn out Asolo hiking boots. I bought these because
A: I'm a tightwad and I wanted to save some money
B: They're very light and comfortable
I wore these out of the store and straight to a trailhead in the Gorge for a 9.5 mile hike brand new, and they were fantastic.
In fact I put many many miles on them last year after I got them because they were so comfortable.
For me there was zero break in time.
Fast forward a year later; the lining for the inside ankle padding has worked loose, the leather looks like it's five years old, and the stitching down by the toes is starting to get very ratty.
Also I find the traction to be a little iffy compared to any Vibram sole I've used. on wet surfaces these boots feel like they want to slip.
I haven't slipped in them, but having that feeling with a pack full of gear is not a reassuring thing. Maybe it's just the material but they don't feel nearly as secure to me as other boots, shoes and even sandals I've had.
Yet, they're still very comfortable, and I want them to last a long time, but they don't look like they're going to.
I like these boots a lot, but I see some very basic quality control issues going on. Maybe I'm wrong and they just went cheap on the outer material, and the boots will look like hell but last forever, but I don't think so. I will post anything relevant to my very subjective review if anything changes.
Average Knucklehead at
REI on
07/07/2012
Fashon Boots, Not Hiking Boots
I am a geologist and have various hiking boots I use depending on the type of terrain. My REI-equivelant hiking boots were up for replacement and decided to try Keen based on reviews. Well, those reviews were not quite accurate. The sizing is off, the insole is so bad I actually wore them without the insole in it, the top lace comes over the tongue and rubs against your leg, absolutely no ankle support (if you are going to use a pack you MUST have some sort of ankle support), and that rubber tip touches my toes when going downhill. If you look at the shoe the first thing you see is that rubber toe and what's wrong with it? Compare it to your foot side-by-side. A foot is not straight across, it's angled. So it's like putting your foot in a box, not a shoe. Bad design but more of a fashon styling. If you are going to hike, work in these boots, wear a pack, depend on a pair of shoes, or want a shoe you can wear in comfort you may want to look elsewhere. Heck, my Whites are more comfortable! Sadly, REI would not take them back on return, either. Very odd for them so I have a pretty pair of fashon shoes in my closet. Not even worth donating.
geojim at
REI on
11/11/2010
Comfort but poor durability.
HOW TO USE: These boots have a large sole area, and so would be great for snow or sand or, perhaps pine needles. On rocks and gravel, the sole feels too wide, and catches on edges when you'd prefer it did not.
PROS: Comfortable and lightweight and available in a design suitable for people with wide forefeet and not-so-wide heels.
CONS: NOT, let me repeat, NOT durable. After 4 days of 3 hour walks on a slightly stoney trail, I noticed that the "fingers" of the sole were coming loose. Thereafter, I would either super-glue or epoxy them back into place every few days. Luckily I carry these adhesives in my kit. These newer bonds would then fail because the material under the black sole material would break away.
I have gone though dozens of peirs of climbing boots, and never had anything like this happen before. I was genuinely concerned that I would be stuck on some mountain in Turkey with no usable boots to walk back on. I mean, comfort is important. Waterproofing is important, but basic durability is the one thing that one has to reply on absolutly. I would never ever consider purchasing a Keen product after this, and I am a bit disappointed that REI carries them.
MidAtlantian at
REI on
11/11/2013
Great until they prematurely wore out
Bought these boots last October and right out of the box took them on a 10 mile hike with zero issues at all. These are incredibly comfortable boots. Unfortunately, they wore out almost completely after one year! The linings have ripped, the soles are worn through in several spots, the stitching has started to blow out and the fabric is separating in the toebox area. In short these things are completely worn out. They're just shot. Now they're just my town shoes. I know that they're only 150 or so, but at the rate they wear out, I should have just replaced my old Asolo TPS 520s, (2nd pair of those, btw) which finally gave out after 5 years of very hard abuse.
In short, these are incredibly comfortable, and as long as you don't mind replacing them every year, then they're fine. Or save yourself some scratch and get some boots that last longer.
I should also mention that I didn't even really put that many trail miles on them, which makes it even more heinous that they wore out as quickly.
Average Knucklehead at
REI on
01/01/2013
Great fit, poor execution
Great fit if you have wider feet. Toe box is fairly square which feels great, while looking a little goofy. Great support, all-day comfortable, and plenty of traction. Never had any blisters while hiking Baden Powell, Baldy, Halfdome, Whitney...
Only problem: It wears out really quickly. The stitching on the sides fell apart, the tread started coming off, and the waterproofing failed. I tried shoe gooing it back together, because I really loved the fit of the shoes. If you take a good look at the tread you can tell where it's going to fail, and it did. The eVent breathed well, then a little too well when it began letting in water. Still loved the fit, went on a few more hikes, until a hike after the recent rains (late winter 2010). Stuck my toes in a creek, water flooded in, my boot was about as waterproof as a tennis shoe.
I wish all boot companies made square toebox shoes, not everyone wants a pointy toe'd, narrow cowboy boots. The Keens were a perfect fit, if they were only more durable...
Doug in LA at
REI on
02/02/2010
Slippery when wet!
DO NOT BUY THESE UNLESS YOU WANT TO FALL ON YOUR BUTT!
These are probably the worst pair of shoes I have ever bought. Who in their right mind make boots that turn slippery when they get wet? They just suddenly lose traction completely, much like walking on ice.
I wore these 1 day, in that day I fell down two times. I haven't tripped in over 2 years until I got these. I slipped on wet PAVEMENT in the rain. To put it in perspective, I'm a perfectly healthy, coordinated 28 year old without a hint of disability. There is something about the rubber compound that makes these boots instantly and completely lose 100% of traction at just the right angle. Thus you have no slip, or warning, your foot just shoots out from under you.
I now have both my knee's bruised, one skinned, and a torn pair pants. I WILL be returning these! I will walk barefoot up hill in the rain (possible around here) before I put these on again.
malibu35072 at
REI on
01/01/2011
A heartbreaking experience
I've had a set of these boots for the past 18 months. I've worn them in a variety of environments ranging from the Yosemite backcountry to the depths of the Ventana Wilderness. I am an avid hiker/backpacker.
As I mentioned before, I've had these boots for 18 months. In reality, I've had 2 pairs over the past 18 months. The first pair failed when the nylon eyelet on one boot broke. Keen replace them under warranty although I expect the same failure to occur. I also find these to be very hot boots. Even with high-tech hiking socks, my feet feel as though they are on fire. I've not had a similar experience with other boots in the past. I attribute this problem to the Keen Dry waterproof fabric. It does not breath and my feet end up both hot and wet. Overall, I find them very uncomfortable as a result.
On the plus side, traction is great; they are extremely light, and provide excellent ankle support. Would I buy them again. Definitely not.
NorCalAdventure at
REI on
09/09/2010
Great fit, soles fall off
I have three pairs of these of various ages. They are fantastic for trail hiking. I bought my latest pair for the 500-mile Camino de Santiago walk in Spain. I knew I'd be blister-free in these boots from previous experience, and I wanted new ones so they might last through the hike. I have had mixed results with these and the low-cut versions; some last reasonably well, but on others the sole quickly starts separating from the upper. This latest pair started coming apart on day 3 of the Camino. I found some contact cement made especially for boot soles, and was able to re-attach the sole a few days later just before it came completely off. The repair lasted for the rest of the (32-day) hike. This tells me that I can glue a sole in the bathroom of a hotel better than Keen can do it at the factory. Keen has a serious quality control issue here.
naclassics at
REI on
11/11/2013
Best hiker for falling on your butt
This is my second pair of Targhees. The first review was much more favorable than this one. With now over 2 years of experience with these boots I can say with absolute confidence that the lack of traction on anything but hard, dry surfaces is the worst I have ever had in a pair of boots. I cannot remember ever wearing slipperier boots than these. Not only is the sole compound too hard and almost lacking in adhesion, but the tread is closed, which precludes clearing even the shallowest of wet snow. The slimey feeling underfoot on anything other than a hard, and dry surface makes for miserable walking anywhere but the mall, the summer sidewalk and Starbucks. They do last though; and they are waterproof and light and attractive. But stay off wet surfaces with them or you will end up on your butt. I know. Keen really needs to fix this problem.
yetanotherdave at
REI on
02/02/2012
Not for all feet or heavy packs.
I bought these boots on a Tuesday around noon. I wore them out of the store around town, I wore them at work (Construction) and after on Wed, Thurs, & Fri. They were a little uncomfortable in the arch area at first but I thought they just needed to be broke in. The uncomfortable feeling did not go away, but it was very slight & comparing to many, many years in higher end Hi-Teks they were more comfortable than the Hi-Teks. On Saturday I wore the boots on an 8.7 mile hike at Henry Coe State Park in California. The hike was a 3 star out of five, the terrain was relatively flat, solid footing & wide trails for the first 2.5 miles, and then it started to get fun with lots of elevation & terrain variation for the rest of the hike. About the first half of the hike was solid somewhat uneven moist soil, icy, narrow trails, with water run off & soil erosion on the trails. The rest of the hike was a little more advanced with switchbacks, creek crossings, light rocky terrain & some elevation variation. I weigh about 210 lbs & I hike with a 40-45 lb pack stuffed with 6-8 liters of water, lots of 1st aid supplies, plenty of food, rope, webbing, hardware, flashlights, flares, etc. These boots were definitely not enough support for how I travel even on a day hike. Today is Sunday (day after the hike) & my feet hurt worse than they ever have. Very sore deep into the tissue & bones. I am a firefighter in the Sierra Nevada foot hills and I have hiked for 40-60 miles, 48-72 hours straight, regularly, wearing 10" boots, wildland fire gear, a 70 pound hose pack & a ground cutting tool. My feet would be very tired after my shift and somewhat sore but never compared to how my feet felt after the hike yesterday or today. The boots feel like they would be great for everyday use, or day hiking with a very light pack (a couple liters of water & lunch) & a good aftermarket insole. I love that they are very light weight (can hardly feel them on your feet), & that they are water proof, the price is nice too.
FF7619 at
REI on
12/12/2008
Comfortable but at what cost?
I love how comfortable these shoes are, I've been on some 10 mile hikes on steep rocky terrain and even when jogging down hill my feet felt good.
I used these boots in Southern Utah on climbing approaches and they allowed me to feel fairly secure on sandstone surfaces and on moderately technical scrambles.
I did make the mistake of leaving the lace hooks untied during one approach which caused my shoes to get snagged together and nearly tripped me over the edge. If you wear these shoes do not leave the hooks untied unless you aren't risking a fall if it trips you up.
I wore the shoes a week ago (June) to approach the West Slab of Mt Olympus. The trail is mostly dry creek bed with muddy sections and ice as the valley steepens. The shoes performed well when dry but when wet they were treacherously slippery. They did not edge or provide good traction on the ice/snow but I managed to take my time and pass the snowy sections.
Tonight, after another short hike to climb, I sat down to wash the dust off my shoes and was discouragingly met with seams on the left shoe coming undone. Stitching has come undone and the shoes are clearly coming unraveled quickly.
I'm discouraged because they have provided great comfort however I've only hiked maybe 50 miles total and that's simply unacceptably little for a hiking shoe to fall apart.
I'll be taking the shoes back and exchanging them for a, hopefully, more durable shoe. Ideally I'll find something that offers greater edging capability too.
bulletbikeguy at
REI on
06/06/2010
Targhee II's in the desert
Belong to a couple of hiking groups in Gold Canyon, AZ on the edge of the Superstition Mtns so 2-3 dayhikes per week. The terrain is decomposing granite and solidified ash, crumbly and sharp. My second pair of Keen Targhee II's are about to bite the dust. Both pair were comfortable right away and gave good traction and pretty good support. I would recommend them for those reasons. One pair stayed dry, the other didn't. I had hoped that the first pair were lemons as far as wear and tear but both pair significantly deteriorated/wore out over a six month hiking season. The current pair has a broken heel retention strap and one broken lace loop and blown out the outer seams at the side of both boots. The sole lugs also come unglued at the small end on the sides of the sole. they seem to wear quickly to me. The Keens larger toe box is good for my hard to fit feet so I'm going to try the Keen Pyrenees this time. Looks like the same toe box but no nylon heel retention strap or lace loops and a traditional one piece leather front with no low side seams to abrade away the stitching. There are numerous other Keen wearers in the group who generally agree on the good fit and faster wearing issues but I may be harder on mine than the rest.
Desert Delver at
REI on
02/02/2010
Good fit - straight out of the box
Bought these boots online and received them no more than 2 days prior to my scheduled departure date (by the way, this was my own fault as I had deliberated too long before placing an order).
As most Keen footwear I own, there was a minimal period of time needed for break-in. I wore these boots for one working day prior to my departure on a 2 day backpacking adventure. The fit throughout the backpacking was secure and snug, especially around the ankle and heel; not once did I need to re-adjust the tightness, which was a good thing because the terrain was slippery and rocky with the trail non-existent in some locations.
My two major complaints about this boot are the lack of pronation control and lack of available traction. The heel and ankle seem to be structurally slim/tapered and this threw off my balance. As I am used to having a boot that would rigidly support in uneven terrain, this boot gave me a bit of problem. I think this issue contributed to the lack of available traction. If I can't get good footing, I would expect some stability in traction. Maybe the next model will have a more aggressive thread to overcome the ankle and heel structure - just an idea :)
Chaiguy72 at
REI on
11/11/2011
Love Hate relationship
I have to say that I was not that knowledgeable about shoes/boots when I bought these. They were recommended for a hike with full pack on the AT through the Smokey's. Not what these boots are for! Killed my feet and I was able to stop before major injury. Not the boots fault, but I say that to say this, these are light hikers. I weight 200 pounds and carry upwards of a 60 pound pack. These boots are not for that. You feel every little rock and bump in the trail and there is little to no stiffness in the sole for support.
I do however where these for very light hiking and everyday use and they are WONDERFUL! The most comfortable boot I've worn. Light, easy on and off. The size is true to form. Keen is the only brand I can buy off the internet and know that it will fit and fit right.
I have had no wear problems and these have held up well. I have had them for about 8 months now. Would I buy another pair, yes, would I recommend them, yes, but know what you are wearing them for.
Mac the chilled adventurer at
REI on
01/01/2009
Comfortable, Wear out quickly
These are the most comfortable hiking shoes I have ever owned. If my feet feel good, I feel good all over. I'm 59 years old, fairly light, and carry a light pack for 40 - 50 mile section hikes on the AT a couple of times a year. I had never found a pair of boots that fit my toes - long and broad - until these Keens. Everybody else raved about them but warned about the quick wear, but I decided to give them a try. They are as comfortable as people say. I could wear them every day and I'd like to wear them to work but they look funny with my priest's black suit and vestments. Sometimes I wear them anyway if I can get away with it. After less than 150 miles on the trail I haven't had a problem with the soles, the leather, or anything else, but the liner has worn through just from the friction against the sock around my ankle. If I can figure out how to patch them I'll keep wearing them. Duct tape?
PadrePadre at
REI on
10/10/2010
Comfortable boots, not for weak ankles!
I would not recommend these boots to anyone with weak ankles, there is no way to tie the boots tight or even snug around you ankles. I would be concerned on the trail of these boots having trouble with the top plastic hooks breaking. Once they are broke there is absolutely no ankle support.
On the good notes: I don't have weak ankles so I didn't mind, and the hooks allow you to loosen your boots with out them actually being tied, say for walking around the campsite after a long hike. I thought they did fine in creek crossings that were short, I never put them in for long periods. The toe box is a hammerhead toe suffers dream, made these boots well worth it to me as there is lots of room for you toes.
Overall I thought they were very comfortable and easily broken in and did well on a 3 day backpack trip in the Rockies. Given they broke in so easy I wonder how long they would last, also given some of others responses.
azhwymn at
REI on
11/11/2009
Not Stable Enough
I originally posted a review on here giving the Targhee II a 4 Star rating. I mentioned that the ankle support and lateral stability of the boot seemed to be lacking and after several hikes on various types of trails I am certain that this is the case. On every hike I've been on with these boots my ankles have rolled - fortunately I was able to catch myself before twisting or breaking my ankle each time.
On my last hike I tried a more technical, strenuous hike and my ankles rolled at least a dozen times on a 2.5 hour hike.
I like everything about these boots except for the lack of lateral stability, especially in the heel area and the lack of ankle support.
I would only use these for light hiking. They are okay on the technical stuff but be cautious about landing your foot where the trail gets a bit bumpy.
I would still recommend these to the casual, light hiker but not to anyone interested in doing more rugged, technical stuff.
Haptown at
REI on
03/03/2010
Love Hate relationship
Love the fit, lightness and general comfort. They were not too hot and seemed to breathe just fine. They are definitely not waterproof so wear something else if you expect lots of stream crossings and occasional snow fields. The issue for me was durability & after just 10 miles, a seam started to pull apart. The soft tread compound and lack of a more rigid midsole makes for light weight and comfort, but also proved to be an issue on the very rocky trails of Colorado's high mountains and the CDT. After a few miles even without a day pack, I could really feel the stones pushing through the soft sole. The shoe seems much better suited for 'softer' trails. I use a pair of leather HiTec Altitude IV boots with a more protective midsole for the rougher [and cold and wet] stuff and wear the Keens 'back east'. But even with the negative comments, I gotta admit this Keen model is certainly a comfortable boot!
Alpine Steve at
REI on
10/10/2008
Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots- Mens
I purchased these boots, as did my girlfriend, and hiked an 80+ mile detour route from Stevens Pass-Snoqualmie Pass, WA. We broke them in prior to our hike, simply by some day hikes. They leaked by my third or so day hike! I then used them for a 7-day survival school, where I walked many many miles on uneven ground. Prior to this, I had some stitching repaired. During the school, other seams came apart. Once the soles wore down some, they became VERY slippery on wet wood and muddy areas. *They are very comfortable and they have a wide a toe box, so I still might consider purchasing another pair- BUT, for the price and how little time they break down, I might reconsider.* If the stitching was better, and more waterproof, I would buy these all the time! For a one-year use of about 150 miles, these are great boots.
Back-Blast at
REI on
12/12/2010