Keen Delta Boot Review

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If you are in the market for an all-weather, winter hiking boot, take note.   The new Delta Boot by KEEN is made for both men and women, and is a very capable option for you winter activities.  While KEEN is best recognized for their summer waterfront shoes, their sturdy boots are also very much worthy of attention.

I was a little worried I wasn’t going to be able to test the Delta Boot in snow, since winter has been taking its time in arriving this year.  I have been hiking in the Delta Boot for about 4 months, in temperatures ranging from 5 degrees to 30 degrees, without snow.  Then finally in late December, Big Sky Montana was blessed with a dumping, and I was able to hike and snowshoe to test them in a true winter environment.

The Delta Boot is geared toward winter hiking.  It features a 200-gram KEEN.WARM insulation, which is toasty enough to keep you warm and dry, but also breathable enough so your feet aren’t sweating when you’re putting in the miles.  Along with the insulation, the Delta boot offers KEEN Dry, a waterproof, breathable membrane.  The waterproof Nubuck covers the boots’ upper.  The Nubuck keeps the water out, while also allowing your feet to breath.  My feet were always warm and dry.  My boots still look great after trekking them through a few feet of powder.  The Nubuck is high-quality, and has not shown any signs of water spots.

The Delta has amazing traction.  KEEN strategically placed 4 mm, multi-directional traction lugs throughout the sole.  The lugs kept me upright, even on steep, icy descents.   Along with the dual-climate and ice-traction rubber outsole, the Delta also rocks KEENs signature, patented toe protection.  I love this visibly recognizable characteristic of KEEN shoes, not to mention the toe protection always comes in handy when you are hiking through rocky terrain!

Keen also placed in the Delta Boot a TPU stability shank to keep you upright and stable while hitting the trails. The collar height is 7.25 “, making the Delta stiff enough to keep your ankle protected, but just flexible enough to offer you full range of motion.  As I said before, I used the Delta Boot while snowshoeing.  The boot was slender enough to use with my snowshoes.  They felt fairly light while I was navigating through a few feet of snow!  The Women’s Delta Boot weighs in at 18.23 oz, and the Men’s weighs in at 22.15 oz.

When I first put the Delta Boot on, I noticed they were a little stiff.  My first hike with the Delta Boot actually gave me a blister.  I wore fairly thin, Smartwool hiking socks, and took a longer hike than I perhaps should have in new boots.  As with any new boot or shoe, you should always wear them around the house for a few hours, or out on shorter ventures, to break them in before hitting the mountains.  I learned my lesson.  After the third hike in the Deltas, the boots felt great, and clearly will deliver long-lasting comfort and support.  Once I broke in the boot, my feet fell in love!

On KEEN’s website, it states that the Delta boot runs about a ½ size small.  I am typically a US 8.5 (EU 39).  That is what I ordered, and I found the boot fit perfectly true to size.  I usually wore a mid-weight hiking sock during my testing.   Before buying the boot online, I recommend going to your local KEEN dealer and try the boot on first.  You always want to make sure you have a well-fitted hiking boot.

The Women’s Delta boot comes in 2 colors:  Chocolate Chip/Nile Blue & Black/Madder Brown.  The Men’s also comes in 2 colors: Stone Grey/Madder Brown & Black/Laurel Oak.

MSRP $130 For more information on the Delta Boot and other Keen products, visit www.keenfootwear.com.

Happy Hiking!