Keen Blackcomb Boot : Bring on the Bad Weather

I spent 26 years in the midwest, so I know cold and I know snow. I also hate cold and snow, which is why I live in the Pacific Northwest. But you can't escape your destiny.

A few weeks ago, the temps dipped into the 20s and the sky dumped inches and inches and inches of snow on my temperate city. I could have been miserable, but instead, I was happy because I had several pairs of winter boots to test out and the perfect testing conditions had literally arrived on my doorstep.

I wear a lot of Keen shoes because they happen to fit my wide feet very well and still have enough room for my full-lenth orthotic. I also love the thick soles and tready, grippy soles. The thickness and stability allows me to walk for hours without foot fatigue, and the tread allows me to walk wherever I want without falling. Over the past couple of weeks, I've walked along icy sidewalks, through icy parking lots, in foot-deep snow, and I've jumped in a few puddles. Through all of those tests, my feet stayed dry, my footing remained stable.

Temps in the 20s adn 30s really aren't very cold, espsecially if I'm moving, so my feet were plenty warm in these -25F rated boots on various long walks. The boots have both a waterproof outer membrane that runs between the leather of the sides, toe, and heel of the boot, as well as a breathable and wicking lining. They come with a shearling padded removeable insole, which I didn't use since I have custom-made insoles.

The Blackcomb boot seems like a beefier version of some of Keens other hiking boots, such as the Targhee. The toe bumper seems bigger, the treads feel heftier (it's still a very lightweight boot compared to my leather hiking boots), and it has the same easy lacing (nylon loops, so no hooks digging into the top of my feet when I cinch them tight.). The Blackcomb is a more high volume boot, probably to accommodate extra socks. I also found this boot to run a bit long, but not long enough to go down a half-size.

I like that there was no break-in time with this boot. Right out of the box I went for a two-mile walk in the elements, and loved every minute of it.

As an all-purpose winter boot, I can't think of another boot I'd want to wear. I look forward to wearing it snowshoeing (with gaitors) and during my February trip to Minnesota!!

Available in brown and black, as well as in women's sizes and colors.

Bottom Line : Another stellar product from Keen. A waterproof, lightweight alternative to heavy, clunky boots. -- E.D. (Jan 09)

Price : $120 purchase now at ,

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Manufacturer's Site: www.keenfootwear.com

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