Editor’s note: This article is part of the Consciously Created content series, sponsored by KEEN. This article was first published on the KEEN Blog.
Hot summer hikes down dusty trails or family backpacking trips through fog-drenched canyons—yup, we’ve got a Targhee shoe for that. When you see the Targhee name, you’re seeing a shoe, boot, or sandal designed for rugged use, all-day play, and comfort and traction mile after mile (especially in instances when your, ahem, hyper enthusiastic friend keeps telling you it’s only one . . . more . . . mile). Hardworking yet easygoing, the Targhee collection has a pair for every season and every reason. Breathable? Check. Insulated? Check. Waterproof? Check! Super breathable (aka sandals)? Check check!
A True KEEN Original
On the KEEN roster since 2005, the very first Targhee boot was developed as the full coverage partner to KEEN’s iconic Newport sandal. Now a bestselling staple in the KEEN lineup, our classic boots have evolved into quite the collection and seen their fair share of adventure. They’ve hiked the Grand Canyon on feet big and small. They’ve put one boot in front of the other all the way up 21,000 feet to Cho Oyu’s Camp 1, the sixth highest mountain in the world! And yes, they’ve even pushed strollers around wet city streets all in the name of parenthood (after all, isn’t parenting one of the greatest adventures ever?) Now with over 15 years of exploring experience, our Targhee boot remains one of our all-time greats.
Totally random side note: A Targhee sheep is a hardy (yet incredibly handsome) American breed known for their resiliency and rather fine wool. Although not directly linked, our Targhee shoes embody the same gritty determination as those curly white cuties.
KEEN Ambassador Caroline Gleich took her Targhee boots higher than they’ve ever been (that we know of): 21,000+ feet at Cho Oyo Camp 1.
What Makes A Targhee Boot or Shoe So Good?
When you lace up, slip on, or bungee yourself into a pair of Targhee boots, you’re setting your feet up for years of success. We know because our feet spent countless hours testing designs on the muddiest trails and the steepest scree slopes we could find in order to get everything just right. It’s no wonder that over 15 years after we presented our first Targhee boot, the Targhee collection is our biggest and bestselling family of forest-tromping, beach-combing, exploring-an-island-end-to-end footwear. To carry the Targhee name, each shoe, boot, or sandal has to meet the following criteria.
1. Targhee shoes have to be ready for anything. Like, anything. Extremely durable and built with performance traction and grip, each pair sports a rugged and dependable outsole designed to make easy work of frozen trails and windswept dunes day after day, year after year.
2. Targhee shoes must have that iconic Targhee fit. Meaning never-want-to-take-them-off comfort. No joke! Each and every model in the Targhee lineup has plenty of room in the toe-box and an EVA midsole that makes them comfy enough for a 10-mile hike right out of the box.
3. Targhee shoes have to embrace their roots. Ever since the very first pair debuted back in 2005, each version after carries on elements of that tried-and-true boot. From the recognizable toe bumper to the innovative heel support system to the stitching and shaping of the upper, it’s easy to spot a Targhee boot on the trail.
Meet The Whole Targhee Family
Targhee Boots
If your trail dog was reborn as a hiking boot, they’d be a Targhee boot. Loyal and down for anything, our men’s and women’s Targhee boots are KEEN bestsellers. Appalachian trail thru-hiking? First snowshoe expedition ever (you gotta start somewhere)? Our collection has a pair for adventures big and small.
Targhee Casual Shoes
Stay spontaneous (because you never know when brunch will turn into a seven-mile amble through the forest). Our collection of everyday Targhee shoes are business casual-approved, but can still hold their own on rocky trails and in muddy corn mazes.
Targhee Sandals
Let your toes feel the breeze. Our collection of Targhee sandals have all the support and comfort of our boots but are just right for long river days and scrambling down rocks to the swimming hole.
Targhee for Kids
One for you, one for him, one for the little guy, and one for your sullen tween who would rather be doing just about anything other than bonding with her family in the woods (she’ll come around). Our collection of Targhee boots and shoes for kids keep your entire family covered (and talking about the view, not how their feet hurt).
Targhee shoes are made for hopping across river beds and cruising down smooth trails. They’re made for those days when the blue skies look like a photo on the front of an in-flight travel magazine. They’re made for your very first backpacking trip with your daughter. For your daughter’s first backpacking trip with you. For white sands beach days and powder-filled sled days.
But, yes, let’s be honest, since you’re gonna be wearing your Targhee boots for like the next 10 years minimum, they’re also made for those days that don’t go so perfectly. Days when you can’t find the trailhead, or forget the tentpoles, or actually have to turn the car around after a well-intentioned warning to the kids in the backseat. No matter what goes wrong, at least you’ll have comfy feet in Targhee boots, shoes, and sandals.