I found arch support continued throughout my strides during walking, light jogging, and downhill descents. The toe box is wide and un-intrusive, while still maintaining comfort with very little lateral movement of the balls of my feet and toes. Mid boots can often have interference with ankle movement depending on how tight you fasten them however I found that the Targhee III with Keen’s ‘Speed Hooks’ allows for quick lace-up with confidence the laces would hold throughout miles of use.

Keen provides traction as expected for a sturdy hiking boot, responsive and consistent through grass, dirt, mud, granite rock gardens, and erosion control timbers. Sizing seems to be running 1/2 size big. Example: if you typically get a size 10, I’d consider a size 9.5.

Maintenance of these Keen’s stay true to the brand. Wash with warm water by hand, use a soft brush to remove dirt from the sole. Stains can be treated with soapy water, gum eraser, or a water/vinegar mix. Note you may see discoloration with water/vinegar…. the Targhee III’s are made with tanned leather!

Excited to expand the use of Keen’s Targhee III’s through the Fall and Winter months for weekend adventures as leaves change colors, running errands and Colorado sees a return of precipitation in the weather forecasts, and eventual snow-season where the waterproofing and foot-support will be welcome in ski-resort parking lots and snowy happy hours. Just make sure to put them on the correct feet…. kids these days!!!

Mike Opland

Mike is an aeronautical engineer, father, road and mountain biker and all around badass.  Fun fact, he is also the 2nd place Red Bull World Champion for Paper Airplanes.  Not making that up.  Do NOT challenge him to a paper plane competition, unless you want to lose!

Mike builds rockets, sensors and all sorts of things that hurt our brain to think about.  He is damn smart and good with his hands.  We once built an impromptu rocket out of a beer can and fire.  It was quite the party trick!

When Mike is not on dad duty or building things to go into space, he enjoys working on his 1940s Ford truck, named Atlas.  We have enjoyed more camping adventures with Mike and his wife Brandi than we can count. If you get a chance to have a beer with Mike, ask him about the escaped donkey of Vail Pass.