Obi Wan
I was disappointed in the size of these. They are described by many many other people in the reviews and comments as being cut very wide, so while I normally look for wide shoes I went with the normal width on these boots. They still ended up being too narrow for my really wide feet, but were better than a normal shoe. Length wise I think they are very true to size. And the extra roomy toe area is fantastic. But the width of the shoe is not nearly as wide as its described so they really fit more true to size rather than wider than expected. So if you normally wear wide shoes, consider the wide version of the Targhee IIs as well. You may not need the wides because the Targhee IIs are cut a little wider than a normal boot, but its nice to know they are an option. Unfortunately they arent as easy to find, they cost a little more, and the color choices are limited. Heres a link to the wide version on Amazon. KEEN Mens Targhee II Mid Wide Hiking Shoe, Shiitake/Brindle, 12 W US As for the quality of the boots, I cant talk about how well they hold up over time because I returned mine due to the sizing issue. But you can tell just by holding them that they are very well constructed. The first thing you notice is how light the boots are. They are a little bulky, but dont have much weight to them at all. There is good foot support. Despite the tightness of these boots on my wide feet, it was easy to tell how well I felt supported by the boots. A lot of the negative reviews are about the soles falling apart. While I didnt experience this in the 1 night I walked around my living room before returning them, you can see where the different colored rubber sections are separate pieces that could separate. Ive seen that happen on many other shoes Ive owned and it always happens where the different rubber sections connect. There are a lot of those connections on these boots. The top lace hooks are a little tight as well. (The uppermost lace points arent eyelets, they are hooks. Normal for boots.) You have to almost snap the laces in and out of them and each time I did I felt like the laces would get damaged. That could cause the laces to tear, which could leave you in an ugly situation if you were miles from your campsite or something. Id recommend keeping an extra pair of laces with you on any longer hikes. (Good advice anyway, regardless of the shoes you are wearing) Ultimately my only real problem with these was the sizing. If you have wide feet, get the wide cut boots. The boots themselves felt very well made. I was impressed enough that Im going to go buy the wide versions to try now instead of just giving up and finding another brand entirely. Id also recommend the Keen Durands. The sizing is very similar. But those are 100% made in the USA and are a significantly better quality boot in every respect, and look very similar to the Targhee IIs. They cost more, but in my opinion they are worth every penny more even for casual day hiking.
