KEEN Wanderer WP Boot – Performance

The Wanderer felt oddly familiar from the off. It’s super comfortable straight out of the box thanks to a broad toe-box, and soft and padded ankle collar and tongue. It’s a slipper of a boot, or shoe, or a mid…

The fit is kind of UK-friendly medium-broad but with good heel hold too, possibly because of the way a webbing link helps seat the heel in place. And it’s a great compromise between shoe and boot. The higher ankle cuff helps keep debris out of your boot and gives your ankle bones a little protection, but there’s no restriction to movement at all.

Happy Heels

The ride is lovely, just like the Durand. The PU heel plug takes the sting out of pavement, rocky trails and slabbed paths and the durability of the cushioning material means it should go on doing that for a good few years.

‘The KEEN.Dry waterproof lining has kept our feet dry so far, though obviously it won’t help if you go wading through deep streams – one of the downsides of that low-cut ankle.’

The downside to all the comfort is that it’s not a super precise scrambling boot. Think soft, rounded feel rather than sharp and direct. And generally we found ourselves using it mostly on lower level paths and moorland terrain rather than full-on mountain stuff.

We suspect scree would batter the lovely soft leather and suede uppers too and particularly the soft, padded ankle cuff. To be fair though, the boot has KEEN’s signature toe-bumper and heel protection.

Talking of protection, the KEEN.Dry waterproof lining has kept our feet dry so far, though obviously it won’t help if you go wading through deep streams – one of the downsides of that low-cut ankle.

Finally, the dual compound rubber sole works fine on hard to medium surfaces, but struggles a little with proper mud and slop over harder ground.