KEEN Voyageur Mid review

We recommend the Keen Voyageur Mid as a great choice for:

• Hikers looking for a breathable boot for warm desert hikes
• Beginner hikers in the market for a versatile and lightweight option
• Broad-footed hikers looking for an accommodating and well-padded boot

Narrow-footed hikers might find the Voyageur Mid's toebox a little too spacious and will likely bump up against the sidewalls during descents. We recommend checking out the Hoka Kaha 2 GTX or the Timberland Sprint Trekker as more snug-fitting alternatives. 

While the Voyageur Mid's outsole performed relatively well in our durability tests, the fact that it began peeling off within our normal testing window raises questions regarding the quality of the boot's construction. The Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2's outsole boasts extremely high-quality Continental rubber that we found to be extremely durable and dependable. 

Apart from all the rubber, there's also a generous amount of EVA foam in the Voyageur Mid's midsole. With a stack that measures 46.2 mm thick at the heel according to our caliper, the Voyageur Mid towers above the average hiking boot. 

As a result, we enjoyed extremely well-cushioned landings despite the boot's relatively firm midsole foam. 

The Voyageur Mid's stack isn't as drastically high at the forefoot, measuring 25.3 mm thick according to our caliper. This is still more foam underfoot than the average hiking boot has and keeps our foot feeling elevated and protected from impact throughout our stride.  

The difference in our stack measurements leaves us with a rather extreme offset of 20.9 mm which is much steeper than our current lab average. 

This feels strange and takes some getting used to on harder terrains, but is great when it comes to walking on soft sand where our heels tend to dig into and sink slightly below the surface. 

We pressed our durometer against the Voyageur Mid's midsole foam and got a firmer-than-average reading of 29.3 HA. 

Despite this, we still felt comfy in this boot thanks to the sheer amount of foam underfoot, with the firmness of the midsole actually serving to provide us with added stability when walking on soft sand. This also makes the boot a good option for schlepping a heavy pack over long distances. 

Despite being marketed as a desert boot, the Voyageur Mid's midsole performs surprisingly well in our freezer test. It only becomes 9.8% firmer with a durometer reading of 32.1 HA. This is still rather stiff, but won't feel too different from how it does at room temperature. Deserts can get very cold at night, so it's good to know that the boot will remain quite forgiving regardless of how harsh the surroundings may be. 

The Voyageur Mid's insole falls within the average range at 5.8 mm thick according to our caliper measurements. 

We measured the Voyageur Mid's toebox to be 108.7 mm wide at its widest point which is significantly broader than average. This means that the boot will comfortably accommodate wide feet with plenty of room without any fear of hotspots or blisters. 

The Voyageur Mid's toebox tapers down to 88.2 mm wide in the area around the big toe.

This is also wider than average and gives the boot a very forgiving silhouette that doesn't constrict our toes as we walk. 

In spite of the boot's massive stack, the Voyageur Mid feels remarkably stable underfoot. This is no doubt a result of the firm midsole in combination with a number of factors we'll explore below. 

Unsurprisingly for a boot that boasts so much foam and rubber, the Voyageur Mid is quite difficult to bend and twist in our hands, leading us to give it a firmer-than-average torsional rigidity score of 4 out of 5. This prevents the boot from contorting laterally as we walk and maintains a steady and level base that promotes excellent stability even on soft and uneven terrains. 

The Voyageur Mid's heel counter is moderately stiff, earning a 3 out of 5 on our subjective scale after our manual assessment. This level of flexibility at the heel allows the boot to hold our foot in place relatively securely but without putting too mich pressure on our ankles or tendons. 

The Voyageur Mid's midsole is 113 mm wide at the forefoot, making it on par with our current lab average. This gives us more than enough platform underfoot to promote a stable stride. 

The midsole also falls in line with our current lab average at the heel, measuring 91.8 mm wide according to our caliper. 

We secured the Voyageur Mid to our workbench and found that 37.4N of force is needed to torque the boot to 90 degrees. 

This is about the same amount of force needed to bend the average hiking boot to the same point and means that the Voyageur Mid is able to bend along with the natural flexion of our foot with relative ease. 

As with our previous freezer test, the Voyageur Mid performed extremely consistently after we chilled it for twenty minutes. Becoming only 5.5% stiffer when faced with frigid conditions makes it much better suited to the cold than the average hiking boot. As such, we would have recommended this boot as a good snow hiker if not for its high score in our breathability test which would turn our feet into ice cubes within the shoe in cold conditions. 

Tipping our scale at 18.4 oz (522g), the Voyageur Mid is slightly heavier than the average hiking boot. However, it didn't feel too cumbersome during our test hikes, even when pushing the mileage with ascents and descents on more grueling trails. Conversely, this heft does further add to the shoe's impenetrable and tank-like vibe that had us cruising with confidence as we tested the boot. 

We pumped smoke into the boot to test how breathable it is and, as the footage demonstrates, it filters through the upper with relative ease. This above-average performance earns the Voyageur Mid a 4 out of 5, making it just shy of the perfect score we'd want from a desert-focused boot. This in combination with the use of moisture-wicking materials means that the boot not only dries up quickly but also prevents our feet from getting too sweaty or stinky. 

At the other end of the spectrum, we have the more insulated Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX which is a much more winter-oriented boot. 

This is still more ventilated than what we'd expect from a shoe that features so much leather in its upper. As we can see from inspecting a cross-section of the upper, these portions of the boot block any light from shining through. 

The key to the Voyageur Mid's airflow is clearly the mesh portions of the upper which act as the boot's ventilation ports. 

The Voyageur's leather toebox is protected by a rubberized toe bumper that proved to be a worthy adversary to our Dremel in our durability test. 

After 12 seconds of grinding, our tool was only able to smooth out the bumper's speckled pattern at the point of contact, leading us to give the Voyageur mid a perfect toebox durability score of 5 out of 5. We really did feel tank-like as we marauded the trails without any concern of stubbing a toe or damaging the boot. 

Next, we turn our attention to the Voyageur Mid's heel collar and set our Dremel against it with 3.2N of force for four seconds of grinding punishment. 

Our tool managed to pierce the Voyageur Mid's lining during the test and eat away at some of the soft padding within. However, with how generously padded the boot is in the heel collar, the Voyageur Mid still earns a respectable 3 out of 5 for heel padding durability.

We pressed our durometer against the Voyageur Mid's outsole and got an average reading of 87.3 HC. 

For the final appearance of our Dremel, we fired it up to 10K RPM this time and set it against one of the Voyageur Mid's outsole lugs. 

After grinding away for twenty-two seconds, we used a tire tread gauge and found that we had shorn off 0.6 mm of material from the Voyageur Mid's outsole. This is right around average for a hiking boot and, with over 9 mm of rubber to wear through underfoot, this gives us no cause for concern regarding the longevity of the outsole. However, the poor construction quality might be more of a problem as we noticed the sole start to peel away from the shoe after only a handful of tests.  

The Voyageur Mid's outsole is thicker than average at 5 mm thick according to our caliper measurements. This gives us a nice and chunky base that elevates us from any hazards below and adds to the reinforced and protected feeling we enjoyed while testing this boot. 

Using our caliper, we measured the Voyageur Mid's outsole lugs to be 4.2 mm thick.

These multi-directional lugs gave us great traction on dirt and gravel trails while the shoe's wide footprint kept us from sinking into the sand during our test hikes. 

With lines of reflective elements intersecting to form a large X at the rear of the boot, as well as dotting the finger loop, the Voyageur Mid certainly does have the safety of nocturnal adventurers in mind. 

At 12.1 mm thick according to our caliper measurements, the Voyageur Mid's tongue is ever-so-slightly thicker than our current lab average.

The Voyageur Mid's tongue is fully gusseted on both sides which helps in providing a secure midfoot lockdown while also preventing debris from entering the boot. 

Not only does the Voyageur Mid have a little finger loop at the heel, but it also has one at the top of the tongue. These make sliding into the relatively snug boot a little faster and easier. 

The Voyageur Mid's chunky insole isn't glued in, so replacing it with a custom orthotic is possible if necessary.