I’ve been wearing Jim Green Razorbacks, they have a wide toe box, and they’re pretty damn comfortable. No stinky liner, and resist water really well. South African made, leather lined, I’m impressed with them, their Baobob boot is awesome too.
manufacturers can say all the want about breathability, but if the outside air is humid, there is no moisture defusing through the waterproof membrane so it stays in the boot. diffusion gradient
I buy winter boots for my job as a delivery driver. Walking across people's snowy lawns, up icy driveways, general New England BS. I'll keep your comment in mind. On the other hand I do like durability on a budget. I do have slip-on cleats in my truck, but I'm usually too lazy to put them on. What is the best in terms of traction that is commonly used?
I bought two pairs of the Targhee IV, one is the waterproof mid height, and the other is the vented low top, and both outsoles are super grippy. The mid-height one doesn't slip on ice either.
I discovered keen by accident a couple years ago. Not for hiking but for safety toe work boots. I got a pair of their Philadelphia's and loved them so much i bought 3 more pairs in varying colors 6 and 8". The wide asymetrical carbon fiber toe box is a must for all day comfort. Plus their midsoles are very soft compared to most others. The only thing i can complain about is the outsole grts chewed up pretty easily but that too is a softer rubber than normal as well. I can see why people wouldn't trust them though after having the soles blow apart.
I've owned a pair of these for a couple of months now. I really like them! They are not for heavy hiking, and not for very wet and muddy environments. That said, on a light hike, on a dry day, they are excellent, low-maintenance boots with no break-in!
Been wearing keens for over 10 years as a professional detailer I can confirm they are one of the best waterproof shoes I've ever owned and one of the best waterproof shoes on the market I've tried several other big brands that were nowhere near as WP as keen you're losing your mind if you think they aren't great on rainy days your comments is wildly wrong
@thedetaildude8243 For hiking, I disagree. The gusset on the Targhee IV stops where the high-top part of the boot begins. So, they are waterproof if you don't step in anything too deep. I love my Targhee IVs so much that I am wearing them right now. I also own and wear Vasque Sundowners, which are fully gusseted. I logged over 1,000 miles hiking in my first pair of Sundowners, and am very aware that, for wet conditions, they are a far superior boot. Before Elon Musk bought Twitter, I would post my hikes there. I still log my hikes, but I have since deleted my Twitter account. If you are okay with waterproof below the ankle, the Targhee IVs are great. For the majority of what I have been doing recently, they suit my needs. If I need something more serious, I put on my Sundowners.
Best boots I've ever had by a long shot are the Michelin Hydro Edge boots. My job is walking on pavement for 8 hours a day and every other boot I've tried I get about 4 months ( I've tried a ton of boots over 20 years) but the Michelin last 2 or more years. I was told they use the same rubber as car tires which makes sense for anyone spending the day on pavement or cement. Once you break them in they are the most comfortable boots I've owned. There are some down sides though. The break in period can very long with stiff rubber so I'll wear them around the house a few weekends before I switch out my old boots. The only other downside is the stitching isn't always the best. Sometimes in the first few months (barely broken in by then) the stitching will start to fail but I throw some superglue in and get a few more years out of them.
@@Aglassact77 I've owned about 10 different pairs of Keen's and the last about 4-6 months. I walk about 15 miles a day on pavement so the soles get shredded really quick. For what I do you can't get any better than a boot made from the same stuff as car tires. I mean they've spent decades and millions of dollars to come up with a compound that will hold up on pavement. What works for me and my specific job probly won't work for you but that's ok
I hate PUs - they suffer from hydrolysis, especially when not used frequently and kept in humid environment. A lot of boots with PU midsole desintegrate after a few years turning into slime. Edit - oh, you talked about it :D Good. My hiking boots sufferred from it 2 years ago on a trail in mountains, i got livid. Fortunately i got back safely as well.
@@biggidousthethird2672 5 years is usually the time, when things only start to go bad. Yeah, I know i have to use them, but sometimes there is just no occasion for a specific boot. Plus I forgot about mine for years :D
I have to admit I’m mixed when it comes to Keen. Six years ago I bought two pairs of their work boots and they are going strong today. Five years ago I bought another two pairs and those didn’t make it 9 months. The mid soles blew out and the boot was delaminating. I had to toss them. I haven’t bought Keen since. The first pair were Keen Pittsburgh’s and the second pair was Keen Springfield’s.
I got myself a pair of Keen workboots, I can't remember the name but they were a moc toe style with a wedge sole. The leather is either really weak, or I'm hard on boots (I did like to kick stuff in the factory, tbh) because around the toe especially it's getting gouged and scratched. They are comfortable for a work boot, but not very durable, unless you're like the supervisor I'd guess, and just standing around.
Same. First pair ten years ago lasted 6 years. I haven't had a pair go 1.5 years since that first pair. I tried twice more and have been disappointed. They lost my business.
They lost me when the bottom of the sole delaminated in the center but the edges held. It was a big bubble under my foot, very annoying. The purchase was an experiment, so just back to buying better all leather quality work boots.
Great video as always! i really like my new keens. I think my biggest complaint is that they did not like the heat when i went hiking in southern utah. My feet were super sweaty and the tpu got a little softer as it warmed up. so maybe not the best boot for hot desert hikes but overall a really awesome boot.
I wore Keen boots for a good 15 years. Great fit on my foot, always comfortable, durable with one fault. Every pair wore through the sole at the heel before any other part of the boot (sandals too) was even close to worn out. I moved to stitchdown and welted footwear as a result. Here's hoping the soles are more durable with at least equal performance, compared to the previous generation.
The best part of my old Keens is the wide toe box/extreme Munson shape. If the current models keep that, I might buy them again. I can't - CANNOT - understand why heritage style boot companies and the Italian and German hiking boot brands for the most part cannot figure that the hell out, so that all their lasts are either pointy or Munson styles that are angled too sharply on the small-toes side.
My keen work boots are almost 3years old and still in great shape other then replacement insoles these are by far the most comfortable boots I own, after buying countless boots after 19years I'm going with keens
my problem with Keen is their non standard sizes. went thru 4 pair and had to keep going smaller. If your shoe is off by that many sizes, you should adjust the sizing.
i noticed that there is a piece of blue foam/recycled foam at the very end of the heel, how big is this patch? it seems to be for added squish right at the back of the heel, to help make them more comfortable
Good review. Love your channel. I tried so hard to like Keen hiking boots but they failed me to many times. I learned when you buy a pair to also buy a tube of Shoe Goo. The first pair many years ago was great. Since then I've had several pairs of their hiking boots, including the Targhee's, and came away very disappointed because the soles on all of them literally came apart with very little wear making them useless. I switched to Merrel Moab's and haven't looked back. I love the comfort of the Newport sandals which I've also had several pairs and continue to wear. I've had better luck with them, but one pair still fell apart.
Watching this as the soles on my Targhee ii’s are falling off. I’m suffering the dreaded sole catch, when the soles catch on everything as they fall apart. I love the wide toe box and i will try the 4’s in a wide (hobbit feet). Happy to hear they included wide sizes too.
I just got these, only hiking boot that doesn't give me hot spots or blisters. It does get very clammy inside after few hours of hiking but doesn't seem to leak water.
I wonder if the new design is anymore resistant to intrusion by pointy rocks. I wore Targhee 3s on the AT is Pennsylvania and I could feel every sharp pointed rock under my forefoot because they are relatively thin and flexible there, no rock plates or anything to protect.
I literally just replaced a pair of Keen Hiking shoes because the soles kept peeling off. Maybe I will have to look at them again when my new shoes wear out.
At risk of sounding like a shill I am happy with my keen sandals, my keen shoes and keen boots. My experience with Keen customer service was good. They were professional, courteous and sensible. Really I have no affiliation with them, just a fan.
What is the toughest application for a grippy elastic material you can think of? In my opinion that will be the car tire. Somehow, with all the advancements in material science, tires are still made using rubber. Changing to TPU is simply a cost cutting measure to fatten their wallet. Shame.
I loved my Targhee 2. I found the sole of Targhee 3 too soft and flexible to carry any sort of load. Great for a day hike, but nothing more. The sole of the 3s were also very slippery on wet floors/ rocks/wood.
I have worn keen targhees since the 2 and now use their work boots and they always fall apart in the same places. I hope this new way of doing this will improve their quality because the delamination issue spans their entire run.
I bought some Targhee II's in 2016, they were my default hiking boots and weekend ware for a long time. I'd say I'd wear them pretty hard for anything related to farm work or landscaping too. They're on their last leg here in 2024 with the bottom of the shoe being the only piece that's really worn out and just not having traction anymore. I could probably squeeze one or two more heavy hiking seasons out of them. I got a set of Targhee IV for my birthday from my GF (love this girl). I'll say they FEEL on the foot very different, like there's a substantially more arch support, and it's taken me a little while to get used to and maybe I just need to break them in. I'm still everyday'ing my old Targhee II's cause I'm keeping the new ones cleaner. Though I was disappointed when I first put them on, they just didn't have the same feel as other Keens. Style wise, the Targhee IV look so much better. I got the Bison/Black and it is a classy looking boot that can mix well in a casual or semi-professional space. I live in Portland and have been a vendor to Keen. They're definitely a really good company with super smart people. There's some other "shoe manufacturers" around this neck of the woods that are more like fashion companies, they are full of asshole and idiots failing to success and have very toxic cultures.
Used to like Keen but their quality lately has made me write them off as even a possibility going forward. I’ve had 2 separate pairs now have the soles come right off; that’s unacceptable.
Bought a pair of Keen circadias that lasted a month before I wore the sole out by just doing short walks. I was able to warranty them out and get some money which I put towards this shoe, its leagues better than the IIIs and the durability for these outshines the circadias by a lot.
I have had decent luck with Keen, my work boots have been keen for the past 10 years, my current pair isn’t made as well as my initial pair, they went from brass eyelets/speed laces to plastic. They break off after some hard use
A good review, but after my experience with Targhee III's I doubt I'll be buying Keen again. They are very comfortable, but once they get wet they take an age to dry out. They are good in mild, dry conditions. Given the price of them you should compare them to boots from AKU, especially the AKU slope which can often be found for the same price as Targhee III's.
I have that thorogood knockoff with the aluminum toe. I love them. Although I am going to try this FP insole. Seems like an interesting product you would look at
I'd love to see a series on high quality hunting boots. I have a pair of hanwag tatra tops I've been running for 5 years now, curious to see what's inside 🤔
My first pair of tarhees lasted for about a year and a half before I wore out the soles and I wasn't that hard on them. Second pair was better but got them too close to a fire in an attempt to dry them out quicker 😅. After that couldn't get a well fitting pair that didn't feel messed up.
I have been struggling to find a replacement for my 10 year old Salomon Eskape hikers. The current lineup of wide-sized Salomon boots are pretty much vegan and not as well made as my old boots (and not wide enough), and I have bought and returned 3 pairs of Keen boots because of the fit. The most disappointing was the Keen Pyrenees; one of my feet was just too fat I guess - but those are made of leather, if they came in a wider fit they would be easily the No. 1 choice.
I nearly died because of a pair of Keen boots. Had a pair of Targhees in 2020 that I'd owned for 6 months, worn regularly but not everyday. I'd noticed that the soles were a bit worn and on rocky or slightly wet terrain they sometimes wouldn't grip very well. I'd just summited a mountain in the Southern Alps in NZ it was a little damp but not bad. Was walking back along a ridge trail when i lost all grip on a patch of flat but rocky terrain, and skidded straight over the edge of the mountain (about an 800 metre drop). Fortunately there was a tree growing into the side of the cliff about a metre down that caught me and i was able to climb back up. Not sure i'd be that confident in wearing any Keen boots after that. They definitely shouldnt have worn down to that extent with light use after 6 months.
I'm a first timer for the targhee series line As far as keens quality control sucks and my targhee 4 the right shoe tounge does not close properly when tied and gussets pinches in certain places and so I bought keen Durand 2 claims to be American made but it took came defective in the left boot Runs small ughh I'm going to try vivo barefoot water resistant and or jungle boot
If you review the leather on a couple of popular baseball gloves. Compare prices or somthing I’m shure it would get a lot of views. I’d love to hear your opinion on baseball glove leather.
i know you covered converse chuck taylor and chuck 70 but i was wondering if you can cut through a pair of “made in japan” chuck taylors. i don’t like the way chuck 70s feel for me but i hate how poor the durability is on normal chucks and i heard the made in japan pairs are better quality than the regular chucks but not as uncomfortable as the 70 so if you could cut them open it would be very helpful thanks
@@paulkersey6283Hiking boots are generally built to give 750-1000 miles of use. The midsole generally goes first, after which they’re not suitable for hiking because the shock absorption is gone.
I have such a love / hate relationship with Keen. Super comfortable and wearable, but always hit or miss on how long they actually last. Some models seem to last a while, but my last pair make it maybe a year of moderately hard wear. I tried a pair with those flexible rubber bellows in the vamp and they tore after about 4-5 months. I kept wearing them, but both heels cane unglued about 3 months later. Very disappointed for a pair of Keens that cost close to $200.
Hi Rose , love your video and review , i'm just wondering how do you feel the grip and traction on this shoe , i owned Targhee 3 and was a huge fail for me , it was super heavy and grip is horrible compare to vibram , i then bought the 4 coz the shoe looks too good and again the grip and traction is so bad , i sliped multiple times , i'm just a little surpsied this is your go to shoe as you must have worn way more betters hoes than me . btw i had way better experience in hoka , teva , north face , scarpa than this shoe
"Keen is one of the most popular hiking boots in the entire world". The world is really a lot bigger than just the USA. In Europe I used to see their sandals quite a lot but not so much anymore. I see mostly European brands hiking boots or trail running shoes around here.
I'm on my second pair of Keen Koven Mid boots. I get about 10 months out of a pair usually about 800km's. But doing 99% of my hiking in the Magalies Mountains that chews up boots like crazy, the Keens have been the only light weight and flexible hiking boots that lasts for me. Merrell hiking boots, I would get 2 months before they absolutely pull apart in the front and one pair literally lost it's integrity causing my heel to lean over the sole. The only other boots that lasts are my Jim Greens but they are too heavy for my liking and far from flexible.
Good to know. I have a pair of Keen Targhee 3 Made in USA that I bought a few years ago, hiked around 200 miles so far (Tahoe, Sonora, Yosemite, Sierra peaks), still like almost new except the bottom outsole. Really durable and comfortable and my feet are wide.
I waited years for a review of my favorite boots (Russell Birdshooters) & couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t review them. I eventually figured out it must be because they wouldn’t sponsor a review. And when he did finally get around to reviewing them? Yup. Sponsored by Russell.
Partner and I have Keen Pyrenees, as we wanted to have same for adventures, bottoms of soles begun to delaminate after third hike, less than 50 miles. Very good looking and comfy, but quality is atrocious...
Tried the Targhee 2 and it lasted Two years. Tried the Targhee 3 and it lasted only a year. Will give the Targhee 4 a try. If the soles tear apart. Will be the last time I buy Keen shoes. The shoes are very comfortable but durability is just not there.
My keen hiking boots have lasted 6 years. Not sure I will ever need another pair. My doc martens are over 22 years old, in good condition, made in England
