Keen Koven

Recommended to me by a distance hiker who does sections of the PCT. Like house slippers for comfort; the waterproof version are a tad hot for warmer weather, but I have been wearing these for outdoor stuff for two years and I am most pleased. If you allow water to pour over the sides of the shoes, they are no longer called waterproof. I wore these in a small boat all day on Monday and feet were still dry in spite of squalls of very heavy rainfall. Wonderful hiking shoes!

No additional details needed. Mid-height shoes do protect ankles on rocky or uneven trails. I ordered and purchased one size higher to allow for socks and an insole for padding at the bottom. Feet tend to swell a bit with longer hiking days and these are as good as any boots I have owned...including Vasque and Merrell and Cabela's brands.

I am not a rock or mountain climber but only hike on trails or on easier ground for travel. Feet are dry; if you allow water to roll into the boots if you do river crossing, the boots will get wet inside, of course. Overnight drying in a warm room...not at a campfire...will dry out interiors very well.

Background

I have owned two pairs of these shoes for two or three years and I have used them daily and on short hikes. They are roomy enough for comfort with medium weight socks and the lugged soles show little wear. I am pleased that my PCT hiker recommended these for me.

For shoes fit for extreme trail walking at a moderate cost look no further than the Keen Koven hiking shoe.

Having worn out a pair of expensive trail shoes in a couple of months I had to shop for some replacements. Having seen a number of specialist shops with little to fit my shortened feet (Frostbite rebuild) a delightful young lady suggested some Keen shoes:

"They're wide and they are on special at under half price."

I tried them, took a size larger and Wallah! just like carpet slippers, wonderful comfort from the shop floor on.

Now I have had them for almost nine months. Traveled a variety of tracks and trails here in New Zealand and they have been great. The soles have a grip like a Scot on a $100 bill except black slime mould and there is no noticeable wear either.

They are still waterproof after a full winter of trips every week unless it comes over the top and they take a full day to dry out when walking or a couple of sunny days off my feet. I have been off trail too and on steep slopes descending at the end of a day to reach shelter or home and am pleased to tell no toe bunching and excellent support. This I am sure is down to the versatile lacing with the ghillie system allowing a variation from sloppy comfort to tight total support according to need. 

All in all, I am very pleased with these shoes and can recommend them for quality and price.

I have now had these shoes for over a year and overall am still very pleased with them however the soles are now showing wear, quite a lot of wear in fact. The wear was noticed after a week of intensive trail walking on the Port Hills near home; the trails are mostly soft clay with a few volcanic rock outcrops to negotiate so not at all extreme. Within a month the soles are now half way through their life as trail shoes, a very rapid break down. The uppers are still perfect as are the insides; what a pity the soles cannot be replaced!