Keen Targhee IV Low Review

This heavyweight contender might tip the scales, but it also features a solid leather upper that withstands some serious abuse. With excellent waterproofing, it is a model best suited for rugged environments to make the weight penalty worthwhile.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Keen Targhee IV gets mixed reviews on comfort. Out of the box, they feel stiff and clunky, and the extra weight that they gained from the previous Targhee III model is noticeable. We felt the leather upper begin to break in after about 5 miles, but other comfort issues did not go away so quickly. The fit is wide, and so with such a heavy shoe it felt difficult to ever feel truly in control. The midfoot and heel fit true to size, but the forefoot is very roomy. Thick socks help to absorb some of this volume. This fit style is something that is advertised by Keen and people do seem to enjoy this fit, but whether or not you do will be decided largely by your foot shape.

We noticed a lot of pressure from the tongue on the top of our foot, and the LuftCell insoles seem to ride high on the outside of the foot, and low underneath the arch. We do really like the big, molded toe bumper that protects the front of the foot, as it seems that we were tripping over things a bit more often than normal given their fit and weight.

Support

This shoe uses an air-injected LuftCell midsole with a stability shank to ensure solid support underfoot. We found the Targhee IV to feel very supportive, especially when walking over sharp rocks on the trail. The fit of the shoe did seem to impact its performance on uneven terrain, however, as the sloppy forefoot fit led to a noticeable decrease in side to side stability and confidence while edging on the side of the shoe. If you are able to fill this volume up then it will likely feel a lot more stable.

Traction

The Targhee IV uses the Keen.Rugged outsole system. This is comprised of medium density rubber, sharp and well-spaced lugs, and enough outer perimeter lugs to be able to kick in to loose terrain like sand, scree or mud. In our testing we found it to do the best in packed trail conditions and in mucky, wet terrain. We found its limitations on smooth and wet surfaces as the sole felt slippy when there was nothing to bit into. Given the diminished edging ability due to the width of the shoe, we also found it to be compromised in edging and sidehilling applications.

Water Resistance

We found the Keen.Dry membrane to work well in both our structured water bucket tests as well as in real-world tests wading through shallow streams. The leather upper sheds water well. We had some very minor leaking during prolonged submersion but not enough to really dampen our socks, and we measured the flood level of the Keen Targhee shoes at 3.25 inches.

Weight

The Targhee IV shoes weigh in at 2.66 pounds in a size 11 US Mens. This is a .4 pound increase in weight from the Targhee III, and the increase is easily felt. Whether that extra weight went into the new LuftCell midsole or thicker leather uppers, we don't consider it a big improvement unless underfoot support is your biggest concern.

Durability

With uppers made from high quality nubuck leather that is stitched well, we think these shoes should last you quite a long time even when used in burly locations. The Keen Targhee IV also uses a new process that fuses the sole to the upper, guaranteeing that they will never delaminate. We never got to the point where we could question that assertion, but it will be interesting to see if delamination is a thing of the past with these shoes!

Should You Buy the Keen Targhee IV Low?

This heavy-duty hiking shoe is built well, and is a good value considering the materials and construction. If it fits your foot and you don't mind the extra weight it is worth trying on.

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