I have had my KEEN Pyrenees* hiking boots for over a year now and figured I had enough mileage on diverse terrain with them to write up a review.
When I was looking for a new pair of boots I knew that I wanted something supportive and versatile. I hike on a bunch of different trails ranging from the prairie grasslands and rocky mountains of Alberta to the coastal rainforests and beaches of British Columbia and everything in-between. I wanted something that could withstand full days of hiking without wanting to throw my boots off the side of a mountain and my North Face Hedgehog Fastpack Hiking Shoes were just not cutting it anymore.
These boots were comfortable straight out of the box, and I didn’t feel I needed to spend any time breaking them in. I didn’t experience any pain/pressure points, and only ended up with blisters once (during my backpacking trip) over the course of the year (which is actually really impressive for me, as my feet blister so easily). They are my first choice of footwear to put on anywhere I go. (Yes, I am that person who wears her hiking boots everywhere!) I honestly haven’t had a pair of shoes or boots that have been this comfortable.
OUTER BOOT
The boots have an all-leather construction with modern waterproof/breathable technology with a KEEN.DRY membrane that seals out precipitation while allowing moisture to escape helping your feet stay dry if it’s wet, or if your feet are sweating.
I haven’t done a waterproof test on these like I did with my other boots (at least on purpose anyway). I had crossed a shallow glacier stream on a hike, but I don’t think the water was that deep (maybe a max of three inches above the soles). But I did accidentally step into a gross puddle in the city this past winter that was fairly deep (almost to the tops of my boots) and I came out dry.
As for the moisture escaping, I don’t think I have ever had an issue with overly sweaty feet from a hike in these. I always wear wool socks while hiking, so that helps push moisture away from my skin as well.
INNER BOOT
The foot bed is anatomically engineered to provide arch support and cradle the natural contours of the foot, I find it to be quite comfortable and provide great support – I usually purchase new insoles to put in my footwear as I find the arch not supportive enough, but I like these.
I would recommend switching out the footbed if you are using these in winter for a REDhot Superfeet Insole* to reflect heat back at your foot and insulate from the cold ground. I haven’t needed to, but I haven’t gone hiking when it has been colder than -20 degrees Celsius either.
SOLES
The soles have 4mm multi-directional lugs that maximize your grip to provide great traction over rough terrain and have a Torsion stability ESS shank (which is a supportive structure between the insole and the outsole that gives you extra support to your arch area, reduces foot fatigue and adds strength to your boots).
My boots have taken me over a multitude of different terrain, including: rocky river beds, snow, wet sandy beaches, slippery boardwalks, steep rocky trails, and dirt trails and always have preformed great.
CARE & CLEANING
Cleaning these boots is easy. While I haven’t really gotten mine really dirty and needed more than a hard tap on the ground and a quick brush from my hand to remove debris, all you need to do (from the product care info from KEEN) is brush the boots with a soft brush or towel to remove dirt and debris.
If you have any stains you can lightly use a gum eraser in a circular motion and lightly brush off after. If you have a tough stain, you can use a mixture of water and a bit of vinegar on a damp cloth – but do note that this process may cause slight discolouration.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion the KEEN Pyrenees is an amazing hiking boot! I highly recommend these for day hikes and multi-day backpacking trips that are rated as easy to moderate (but only saying that as I haven’t had any difficult hiking experience and would not be able to provide advice on the type of boot you should wear for those adventures.)
The Pyrenees provide great ankle support and great traction over a variety of terrain, and keep you dry. After raving about mine, my husband bought the Men’s version of these and he loves his as well! (Yes, we are that couple that has matching gear. I swear it’s not on purpose!)
Until next time, chase the stoke!
– Tracey
INFORMATION
- DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links (marked with an *) This means that if you purchase through this link I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure here. Thank you for supporting my blog!
- I purchased these boots myself, and have not received any compensation for the review. My opinions, as always are my own.
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