Keen Marshall Mid-top review

About ten years ago, while perusing the shoe section at REI, I discovered a truly unique sport sandal that I quickly became enamored with…the Over the past decade, Keen has come a long way from their modest foray into the competitive shoe industry. Today, Keen is a leading sporting goods company producing a huge array of sport shoes, boots and apparel.

Apparently, my enthusiasm for Keen has not gone unnoticed, as I recently received a pair of one of their newest boots in the mail to review…the Marshal Mid.

The Keen Marshall comes in both a low or mid-top version and doesn’t feel like your typical hiking boot. In fact, they are quite lightweight and extremely comfortable.  The comfort actually didn’t surprise me since I own about half a dozen pair of Keen shoes, where comfort is an underlying theme. The Marshall Mid is a great everyday hiking boot that is, surprisingly, quite breathable. I have not used them in cold weather, but don’t think I would if temps were below freezing, due to their modest insulation value. They are however, a great 3-season boot.

It’s always a good idea to break-in a new pair of boots before you venture out on a long hike—and while I did wear the Keen Marshalls around town a bit before hiking in them, it was a pretty minimal break-in. I felt so confident about the initial fit-and-feel, that just a few days later I took off for a four-mile hike up Vulture Peak just outside Wickenburg, Arizona. This hike is pretty steep with some rocky areas that required me to do a bit of scrambling—I made it back without a single hot-spot or blister. I almost felt as though these Marshall boots were an extension of my feet, rather than something covering them. Thus far I have only used the Marshall Mid for day hikes and am not sure if the mid-sole would provide enough support for multi-day backpacking trips, however that has yet to be determined.

One of the great things I’ve learned about Keen Footwear is that the comfort they build into each pair of shoes doesn’t mean less function. During my initial use of the Keen Marshalls, I always felt like I had plenty of grip, support and toe protection. Granted, I have not used them on wet surfaces yet, so I can’t attest to that.

Bottom line: The Keen Marshall Mid-tops are comfy, lightweight, great value, ready-to-wear hiking boots.  The only animus thing I can say is the colors are a bit flashy for me…I tend to like more subtle/neutral tones in my hiking boots.

KEEN MARSHALL MID SPECS:

Price: $140
Weight: 15.1 oz
Lining: Moisture wicking textile
Upper: Textile
Sole: Non-marking rubber
Features: Waterproof breathable membrane, moisture wicking lining, removable EVA footbed, solid rubber high-traction sole, TPU stability shank and waterproof mesh upper
Type: Hiking boots for sun, rain and/or snow

If you own a pair of the Keen Marshall Mid-top hiking boots, please leave a comment below and let my readers and me know what you think.