KEEN Women's Targhee 2 Mid Height Waterproof Hiking Boots

Not the most "sexy" looking boots, for sure, but definitely great for hiking the awesome national parks! When I first put them on, they seemed a little bulky. However, the "bulk" is what actually made them so comfortable. They have a bit wider toe box, which I like, but still fit my narrower ankles just fine. They required no break-in period. I used the insoles that came with the boots and they worked well, which is great for someone like me who has issues with plantar fasciitis and other foot pain. Though my feet were a bit "heavy" after 8+ hour hiking days, I had no pain. These boots also seem waterproof. Only time I felt actual water was after stepping in a creek that was deeper than expected and water went over the top of the boot (totally my fault). Otherwise, I walked through some pretty thick mud, moderate puddles, and shallow creek beds and they worked well. Good traction. Not sure how they'd do in deep snow, but I'm not sure these are made for that since they are only mid-height anyway? The rounded toe is pretty ugly, but I was quite thankful for the rubberized protection when walking over rocks and boulders. Definitely recommend these boots. You get what you pay for, and these are worth it. And these are true to size. I wear a size 11 ladies in both running shoes and tennis shoes, and I ordered a size 11 in these...perfect fit.

I wore these hiking boots for the first time yesterday on a 4 mile hike up a mountain. The ankle support made a huge difference with the rough terrain. I was concerned because I did not wear them at all beforehand, so they weren't broken in. They were very comfortable and caused me no issues.

I bought these instead of Keen's Durand style for two reasons - because a previous reviewer noted the Durand weren't roomy enough (or insole removable) to accommodate different insoles AND because they were lighter in weight than the Durand style.I'm quite please so far! A few things that make them especially nice for me (but may not work for others):FIT - as recommended by almost everyone, order *at least* a 1/2 size larger than typical. I already do this in running shoes, so it was any different for me to do this on these. (For example, I can wear anything from a 4.5 to 5 (35 EU is ideal) if I want sandles or heels to fit and not slide, but in "regular" shoes, I go up to a 5.5 and in running shoes, I'm a clear 6 in Nike's and New Balance and apparently, these). There is not only plenty of room for my toes to not bump the front in 1/2 size up, but also plenty of room for insole insertion...INSOLES - I have very high arches and am currently dealing with plantar fasciitis in one foot. So this was huge for me. Not only are the insoles here easily removable, they are actually pretty decent quality... meaning, if I wasn't dealing with fasciitis, I'd probably have kept them in. As a comparison, I inserted the "pinkberry" from SuperFeet brand inserts and there was no noticeable different between those "special" insoles and the ones Keen already puts in the boot. FURTHER, I was worried my super-high arch ones wouldn't fit, because they're so stiff, but I easily (without even trimming, in my case!) replaced them with the SofSole high-arch inserts (available at sporting stores) with no problem.ANKLES - I have very tiny ankles and so worried these wouldn't properly hug them. But the snugness is so perfect on these without being tight that I actually feel like I'm wearing a little armor around my ankles.LACES - I *despise* round laces for always coming untied no matter how many (and how) times I tie them. And so despite all hiking boots having them for strength/durability issues, I planned on replacing these as soon as they came, with typical flat laces (okay, I also wanted to insert prettier laces too). However, the two hooks on the upper ankle that you round before you tie the lace? They are rubberized and slightly expand - so your laces don't actually move! I even pulled the loops at the top of the footbed as I was loosening them up and they wouldn't budge until I removed the laces from the hooks! It's that good! This may wear out over time, but for now, it's impressive enough that I'm not even going to replace the laces yet!TREAD - The picture online didn't show very well how deep the tread would be on these, but it's satisfyingly deep enough to actually make a difference in hiking up tall hills, mud, and slippery leaves. I have not yet determined how quickly the tread gets gunked/filled up (or how easily the mud falls out) to prevent grip, but I"ll update later on that.I'll update on the following after testing:*WATERPROOFING: As I got the leather version, I'll be spraying waterproofer over it, even though it's already supposed to be waterproof (as you'd do with any camping gear).*TOE STRENGTH: I'll be kicking stones and such to test not only how strong the toes remain, but also how much the foot moves around inside when the toe is exerted.

My favorite hobby is hiking, mostly off trail. Unfortunately I inherited my mother’s bunions which tend to make long hiking trips quite painful. After doing some research, this boot was recommended for those, like myself, whom suffer from hallux valgus. Right out of the box, the wide toe box that these Keen’s offer felt amazing. The boot is also fitted around the heel, which not only keeps my foot from sliding in the boot, but also provides stability. I’ve just returned from a 5 mile, off trail hike, which involved a lot of climbing, crawling, and side-hilling. With my previous boots, after about 2 1/2 miles, my bunion pain would become so severe that I’d have to call it quits. These Keens far exceeded my expectations. The waterproofing kept my feet nice and dry, even after spending time hopping around in a creek. My toes never felt pinched as they had plenty of wiggle room. I still developed some bunion pain on one foot, but that was the fault of the amount of side-hilling I did and not the fault on my shoe. Next hike. I plan to wrap my bunions to see if that doesn’t help with the side-hill pressure. I typically wear a 9 and I ordered a 9 1/2, which fits well with my thin hiking socks. However, I probably should have considered a size 10 to accommodate my thicker, wool hiking socks. All in all, I definitely recommend these boots from Keen.