Recommended Price: £129.99
Weight: 550g per boot (mens’ size 10)
I’ve usually found boots and shoes from Keen to be a good match for my relatively wide feet, with a roomy toe-box. So I was interested to try out the new Venture model – available as both a low hiking shoe and as a mid boot, as seen here. They represent a move into lighter weight footwear for Keen.
The Venture mids were comfy from the first outing, requiring next to no breaking in, which is as I’ve come to expect from the brand; the lighter weight of these is a real added bonus to that Keen-comfort. There’s good cushioning underfoot from the EVA midsole. I’ve replaced the supplied footbeds as I always do with my usual Superfeet, though the PU ones supplied seem fine if you don’t suffer from flat feet.
In her review of the Terradora women’s model last year, Helen found real problems with the durability of the ‘knitted’-style upper fabric, with a hole soon forming where her foot flexes. So I’ve been glad to find that the uppers of the Venture look to be much more long lasting, with no real signs for wear so far. The soles, although generally fine, don’t offer the greatest grip on steeper ground and wet grass, so that’s something to watch out for.
The Keen dry waterproof membrane has kept the water out so far, although they do make the boots much warmer (and, experience suggests, will fail before the boots wear out). In such a lightweight boot or shoe, best for summer weather, I’d generally prefer the linings to be omitted so that they dried faster – though unlined hiking footwear is getting harder to find every year.
Overall this is a good choice of boot for general Scottish walking on hill paths and woodland trails alike.