Women’s KEEN Targhee IV Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot – Reviewed & Tested

As a steadfast hiking shoe lover, Explorer Claire was surprised at how peachy she felt in KEEN’s Targhee IV Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot.

KEEN is an outdoor footwear brand with an enthusiastic name and some enthusiastic claims on its Targhee IV Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot. The family-owned business originated in Portland, Oregon, and has been a staple in the American market for over 20 years.

The Targhee IV is the latest iteration of the Targhee model and comes in hot stating that it’s ‘the last hiking boot you’ll ever buy’.

KEEN’s hiking machine

In an industry-first, KEEN is offering a Delamination-Free Lifetime Guarantee, meaning that they’re incredibly confident the sole of this shoe will never come off. But if your Targhee IV does, you’ll be eligible for a full replacement or store credit.

So what makes this shoe different? KEEN.FUSION. This is a process KEEN developed where heat and pressure work to fuse the sole and the upper part of the boot to become one whole piece – and the mechanical bond is apparently stronger than glue.

Sometimes pressure creates diamonds. Other times, a hiking boot

They even tested it by putting it through 1,000 miles of use (about 1,609km) and a ‘pull machine’ that attempted to force the shoe apart. It didn’t break down.

So when the time came for me to need new hiking footwear, the promise of this boot entirely strayed me from my loyalty to hiking shoes and trail runners. But after testing them on various tracks around the Gold Coast, will it stay that way? The short answer is sort of. Here’s the long answer.

Why am I the right person to do this review?

I’ve been hiking ever since I slapped on P plates (which wasn’t yesterday, or even close to it), and have taken the long, painful way to find the correct footwear for me. My knees are dreadful, my ankles are weak, and I’d much rather trudge through a puddle than try to avoid it.

Admittedly, I’ve cried more than once on the trail due to pain and discomfort caused by inadequate shoes so my needs are somewhat specific: supportive enough to minimise knee pain and ankle slip-ups, waterproof enough to prevent wet socks, and durable above all else (because we all know that hiking is not a free activity). From what I’ve read about KEEN’s Targhee IV Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot, this sounds right up my Achilles.

Spoiler alert! My Achilles was pleased with this choice of shoe

Quick Specifications

Weight: Between 900g – 1kgish a pair, depending on size
Shaft height: 91mm – women’s
Heel height: 22mm – women’s
Drop: 14mm – all shoes
RRP: $329.99 AUD

Performance

Breathability

Overall, I’d consider this boot to be an awesome all-rounder, but maybe not one for extreme ends of weather. It claims a breathable internal membrane as part of the KEEN.DRY waterproofing, but it was pretty toasty in there (and bone dry after puddles, might I add). I wouldn’t choose this for hiking in sweaty, sweltering conditions.

The waterproofing was real good

It was still breathable enough to fare well in late Gold Coast autumn (a Tasmanian summer?) with sporadic rain and sunshine, and average max temperatures of about 24˚C. This, coupled with the fact it isn’t insulated, means it’s not the pair to take out in a blizzard either.

But that leaves a huge spectrum of weather where the KEEN Targhee IV can shine.

Stability

As to be expected with a hiking boot, it’s generally stiffer than its hiking shoe/trail runner counterparts, and the KEEN Targhee IV is no exception. It has a thermoplastic polyurethane outsole, which I applied a good amount of force to in order to bend with a relevé motion while walking uphill. Though, I’ll give it some grace as it’s likely still breaking in.

Maybe shoes take on the persona of their wearer: stubborn

Its stiffness mightn’t be best for highly technical trails, but it makes up for that by being incredibly grippy. The outsole has a multi-directional lug pattern that performed wonderfully in both dry and wet conditions. I’ll go as far as saying it’s got the best traction I’ve ever experienced in a shoe – I felt like a gecko.

The start of my gecko costume…

Durability

I took the KEEN Targhee IV out for 1.5-hour bushwalks every morning across four days. The trails were a mixture of engineered and natural, wet and dry, steep and flat. It had no problems withstanding those conditions (me, aimlessly walking into rocks, scrub, and puddles), with the nubuck leather upper remaining impressively intact. I also found that dirt didn’t readily cling and it was easy to clean.

However, to really put KEEN’s lifetime delamination guarantee to the test, it needs a longer period of observation. So I’ll come back and update this with my thoughts in six months. But for now, I don’t foresee durability being an issue – especially with that warranty.

Comfort

I was surprised with how ready to go this shoe was straight out of the box. I kept waiting for the burn of chafe and blisters to appear but it didn’t – and that was one of my main aversions to hiking boots.

Another was them being too heavy. My pair of size 6.5 came in around 950ish grams (if we can trust my old scales), placing it in the midweight arena. There are definitely lighter pairs out there, but the weight was never front of mind while hiking and I don’t see it inhibiting my movements with a heavy pack on.

Light enough to rest on this vine without damage

Fit

My little piggies are ultra-flexy and splay very wide, so the KEEN Targhee IV’s toe box was a welcome sight – but not quite wide enough to stretch them out to their full alien capacity. I felt comfortably snug in the forefoot, a touch loose in the heel, and well-supported for my high arch as it didn’t cramp once.

In terms of sizing, I did find it ran a tad large. They’re still wearable in my case, but I’d recommend trying half a size down from your usual and seeing how that feels.

Cushioning

I was a bit wary at first because this isn’t a chunky zero-drop shoe, and I tend to gravitate towards that due to knee pain. I typically feel knee aches after 30 minutes of hiking with the wrong footwear and I never felt that once with KEEN’s Targhee IV.

They felt more and more comfy each wear too

I’m tipping this is because of the midsole, as it features KEEN’s LuftCore technology, which ‘embeds a lightweight, air-injected core into higher-density foam’. Basically, a nice, shock-absorbing foam surrounded by a tougher foam layer.

Design

In terms of aesthetics, I was quite surprised at how much I liked the look of KEEN’s Targhee IV in real life. To be frank, I think most hiking boots are pretty ugly. But there’s something cool and classic about the light-brown tone of the Brindle Nostalgia Rose (this sounds like a baby name Jamie Oliver would select) colourway and the sporty side profile.

The women’s version has one other shade, a light grey/teal called Alloy Granite Green, while the men’s has dark olive and dark brown choices.

Sustainability

Aside from KEEN.FUSION offering more longevity out of the Targhee IV, there are a few other sustainability points this shoe would like to make:

• It uses ‘ethically sourced leather’. KEEN is part of the wider Leather Working Group (LWG) commitment, which aims to promote responsible environmental standards in the leather industry. How strictly LWG certification is assessed is unclear, but KEEN states that they don’t source leather hides from Brazil to avoid contributing to the Amazon’s deforestation
• It recycles 5.5 plastic bottles per pair. This is used to create the laces, mesh, and webbing – not the whole upper. There’s a small paper icon on the shoe to let you know as well
• It uses pesticide-free odour control. Instead, it uses probiotics, which KEEN says prevents seven tonnes of hazardous chemicals from entering the environment each year.

I appreciate KEEN’s level of transparency and strong sustainability commitments despite not being a B-Corp or Fair Trade certified. They’ve outlined this in their 38-page Impact Report from 2023 and Code of Conduct.

Highlights include:

• Ongoing rejection of using PFAS (‘forever chemicals’) in products
• Using 100% renewable power in their offices and stores
• Donating thousands of shoes annually
• Manufacturing in line with their Consciously Created protocols across all factories

Whether they’re not B-Corp or Fair Trade certified due to criteria or personal choice, it can’t be denied that KEEN is a brand that definitely does its bit to be better.

Price

KEEN Australia’s website has the boot version priced at $329.99 AUD. I checked to see if that cost is similar on the US site and it’s almost $150 AUD cheaper, so I’m assuming it’s more expensive in Australia to make up for shipping and distribution. Not exactly sure.

In my opinion, that’s a lot of money for any type of shoe. But not any type of shoe can look after you while you’re out on the trail, and I believe that the KEEN Targhee IV can definitely do that – and for a long time (with a lifetime delamination warranty to safeguard).

I’m keen on KEEN

I’ve spent less on budget shoes in the past but paid more in consequences. I’ve also spent more on premium shoes that were wrong for me and still paid more in consequences. If the features of the KEEN Targhee IV suit your feet, then I think the price point is well within the bounds of reason.

Though, there’s a slightly cheaper alternative in the shoe version of the Targhee IV, priced at $299.99.

Final Thoughts

I’ll definitely keep flogging trails in KEEN’s Targhee IV Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot – firstly, to see how that warranty goes, and secondly, because it’s genuinely a great shoe. It won’t ever fully replace hiking shoes for me, but now the reverse is true. When I require more sturdy protection from the elements and warmth in milder temps, I’ll be lacing up the KEEN Targhee IV without a second thought. It might actually be the last hiking boot I ever buy.

Time to jump in more puddles!