Keen have a reputation for being big on comfort and sure enough, the Keen Targhee III Waterproof hiking shoes felt good from the minute I put them on. This is partly down the metatomical footbed, plus the cushioned tongue, but also because the standard fitting is quite wide, which suits my foot shape. These are a classic Sunday roast of a shoe: reliable, comforting, and built to withstand a downpour of gravy*.
The Keen Targhee III Waterproof is the third iteration of this model, with some key updates from its predecessors. The upper is made from leather and mesh and incorporates Keen’s own waterproof membrane. The footbed is “metatomical” simply meaning it’s moulded to fit and cushion the shape of the bottom of your foot, so is stable and comfortable. It’s also removable. The shoe is an all rounder so the tread is grippy without being over-chunky.
*well, rain, but we don't think they'd let in gravy either.
LFTO
Pros
- Very comfortable
- Great ankle support
- High quality materials
Cons
- Heavy
- Wide fit won't suit everyone
| Weight (per shoe) | 472g |
| Upper | Combination of leather and breathable mesh |
| Sole | TPU<strong> </strong>Outsole |
| Women's sizes | 3-7.5 |
But it’s out on terrain that matters and here the Keen Targhee didn’t disappoint. I was impressed by the cushioning and grip, plus the waterproofing is excellent, with rain and puddles beading off the uppers. Not a hint of leakage; comfortable with no rub after hours of trekking. I’d see these as year-round shoes – perhaps a bit over-built for a hot summer’s day, but here in the UK I think we've forgotten what those look like. Let’s get to the details…
Upper
The upper has a waterproof and breathable membrane. It’s called KEEN.DRY and is PFAS-free but still manages to keep feet dry. They look good with a combination of rugged but attractive styling, and a choice of three colours. I have quite wide feet so loved the fit of the Targhee. Even after a couple of hours of brisk walking, toes could be happily wiggled.
Indeed the overall sizing is on the larger end of the scale, and I wore winter weight socks for most of the testing. This shouldn't pose an issue for most but do check sizes carefully and maybe size down if you're an in-betweener, or on the edge of a size. Around the heel was snug and offered good ankle support without any heel lifting. These shoes felt great straight out of the box and really didn’t need any ‘breaking in’ as with other leather walking boots.
Midsole
The midsole is air injected and is well cushioned. It has great shock absorption without feeling too ‘bouncy’. The arch support felt good. I have quite arched feet and this felt good. The amount of structure might add a bit to the weight — the shoe is not what you’d call a lightweight option, so if counting grammes matters to you then these might not be for you. Don’t get us wrong — they don’t feel heavy or clumpy when wearing. Just saying the support and cushioning is excellent and worth a few grammes.
Outsole
The outsole tech is called KEEN.RUGGED and claims to be twice as abrasion resistant as rubber – meaning that the lugs will wear slowly. I found the outsole to offer secure grip even on muddy cliff-paths. The tread is multi-directional so less risk of sudden side slippage. At the same time the lugs are not too pronounced so sections of gravel or tarmac felt easy.
Sustainability
Keen are massive on ethics and sustainability, publishing a yearly Impact Report, so top marks from us there. Their over-arching concept for this is ‘the Keen effect’ which is a vision for a shoe industry ‘that has a positive impact on lives, without having a negative impact on the planet’. There are myriad value-driven themes around inclusivity, carbon reduction, democratic investing, donations and volunteering. And of course, material innovations; Keen have been PFAS-free since 2018, and since 2015, they claim to have kept over 90,000 kgs of this harmful chemical from being applied to their shoes.
They use Luftcell cushioning, a midsole technology which uses air injection to make the sole squishy — so reduces the use of polyurethane. It certainly makes a comfortable ride. The Keen website claims its leather is ‘environmentally preferred’ from Leather Working Group (LWG) certified tanning. LWG is an organisation focusing on the environmental impact caused by leather manufacturing.
There is also recycled (post consumer) P.E.T. plastic in there, reducing use of virgin polycarbonates and keeping plastic bottles out of landfill. All in all, we are very impressed by Keens sustainability approach.
Verdict
To sum up this shoe in a few words: comfortable, supportive, sustainable, premium, good-looking. An excellent choice for all manner of walking terrain.
How we tested
Our tester for the Keen Tahghee IIIs was Maria Gendall, who lives in Cornwall and loves nothing better than the breeze in her hair on a cliff path, followed by a coffee and a scone at the local cafe. Her regular walking terrain is local hills and coastal paths, meaning lots of variation — from gravel, mud, rocks, grass and of course lots of rain and water! She tested the Keen Targhee III Waterproof for two weeks in late spring with weather ranging from very wet-and stormy to quite warm and summery.