Australian Hiker

Rating

Keen Targhee II Hiking Shoe Review

In searching for my perfect hiking shoe, the Keen Targhee was one choice that kept appearing time and time again with rave reviews on the web. In the end this wasn’t the shoe that I decided to go with as but only because it didn’t suit my individual foot shape.

The Keen Targhee II is a great shoe and sits firmly in the hiking shoe category rather than the trail running category. They have built-in ruggedness that would fool you into thinking that you are wearing a boot and there is a mid cut boot version for those who want that extra protection and stability. Having said that this ruggedness comes with increased weight although this shoe is still much lighter than traditional boots.

Size wise they are generous and at the time of testing I was originally a 14 US in most other brands but in these I am a size 13 (I’m now a size 15US). The toe box is broad allowing plenty of room to spread and provided good protection if you manage to kick and hard objects.

Shoe selection is a personal choice based on foot size and shape as well as arch height amongst other criteria. While I have large forefoot the rear half of my foot is average in width and as such I find that the Targhee II is too spacious for my foot construction. My Superfeet insoles took some of this additional space up but there was still plenty to spare.

The soles of the shoes are robust and the tread pattern grips well to either wet or dry surfaces and provides good protection from sharp rocks. The durability is good, but not great, and given the style of hiking I do, I would expect to get at least 500 km+  out of them.

The lacing system is pretty standard and to a certain degree it will allow you to reduce some, but not all of the excess width for those with slightly narrower feet. I wear very thin socks for most of the year and for those who wear thick socks, this may not be an issue.

The colour choice is limited on these shoes to grays and tans and very often stores will limit what they carry. This limited colour choice suits most people so I guess from that aspect, it’s not really an issue.

Shoe sizing in Australia goes up to about size 15 but sizes up to size 17 are available from the US so this is one of a limited choice of shoes for those of us with very large feet. To increase the option even further the Targhee II is also available in the waterproof version in a wide fitting which means that even though with the widest feet wont be left out.

A word of warning here though; they are available from overseas often at a very cheap price but pay close attention to the freight cost otherwise you may end up paying more for them than in your local store.

Overall a very good choice particularly for those of you with broad, feet.

We Like

• Excellent foot protection, almost boot-like. This means your feet will remain in good condition though an extended hike
• Wide fit that will suit people with broad feet providing greater options for fit
• Rigid sole providing excellent stability when picking your way through rocks providing confidence in your footing
• Good traction in dry or wet conditions that means you wont loose your footing and potentially injure yourself
• Excellent durability for the type of shoe, which gives you the confidence to keep on going

We Don't Like

• These shoes are made for people with broad feet (from front to back)and if you don’t fall into this category they aren’t as comfortable as they should be and will feel a bit loose
• Limited arch support so not as comfortable as other shoes
• Heavier than trail runners but much lighter than boots
• Style is a bit blocky but this is more of a niggle than any real negative

Best Uses

All types of hiking particularly good for long distance when you don’t want to use trail runners

Buy One

You can purchase the Keen Targhee II online from Amazon Australia or from Amazon Australia or from Amazon USA

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $190 RRP. Once you go over size 11.5 the price jumps a bit

Other Versions

Men’s and Women’s as well as mid height versions for greater ankle support. The Targhee II tends to be limited to hiking stores this days but is readily available on line in both waterproof and non waterproof versions in addition to a wide version

Keen Targee II

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

Last updated

7/1/2024

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