Keen Bend

Well… even a waterproof low cut is only waterproof for the first 2 inches… LOL. I've never quite understood the purpose of waterproof low cuts. My personal feeling is that you're gonna get wet regardless… so rather than trying to prevent the water from getting IN… I look for a shoe that will get the water OUT (and dry) as fast as possible. So I look for shoes with a lot of mesh. But that's me… and my location. Where I hike, I'm often fording knee deep rivers and streams. So waterproof footwear isn't something I have much knowledge or experience in.

The latest release of the Keen, Targee II, with eVent is my low top of choice. They've finally gotten the sole attachment figured out and mine are into their second season and show no signs of sole separation.

How do you deal with wet feet when wearing trail shoes? Chris Townsend mentioned using waterproof socks in the Backpacker's Handbook. Does anyone use waterproof socks, scuh as the SealSkinz?

I tried the Targhee II. It seemed like the perfect boot–wide forefoot, lightweight, waterproof. However, there was a protrusion under my right foot that irritated me (maybe excessive arch support for my flat fleet?). It's weird–it really only was noticeable on the RIGHT foot, and I tried several pairs to confirm that this was not an aberration. I tried on the Keen Voyageurs the other day and the protrusion was less noticeable. Anyone else encounter this?

It might be a characteristic of that particular production run. During my early experience with the "old" Gortex Targhee I found a bunch of shoes that had a problem with the collar of the left heel. A few months later it was gone.

The supersized toe box of the Keen shoes is one reason I was drawn to them. I wear a fairly severe orthotic to alleviate my plantar fasciitis and the Keen shoes have plenty of room in the arch to accommodate the insert.

With the low top I wear a pair of lightweight REI gaiters. That keeps out dirt and incidental water from wet grass.