Review: Kickin’ Butt With Keen Footwear’s Tacoma

Keen Footwear’s Tacoma boot looks like a big time butt kicker in the picture. To see if reality matches marketing, they sent us a pair so we could pit them against our version of work and play: weather is wicked and work conditions wet and trying to beat our a++es.

What we found is a whippin’-well designed, super-rugged—and comfy—boot for all day work and play. In two words: Keen can. In more words…

Rugged. With their boss stance and take-no-prisoners tread these boots are shovel-ready. Their waterproof leather body outside and Keen Dry breathable membrane inside I can work all day—which I’ve done, mowing lawns, building and landscaping—in all kinds of conditions comfortably. Whether it’s standing on a ladder or slab or walking in the woods or mowing soaking grass, the Tacoma keep my feet good to go all day and then some.

Smart. These bad boys’ stand-out feature for me is the hard rubber toe-wrap. It helps protect your toes (steel toes are available in the Tacoma as well) but what I love is that it makes those jobs where you have to be on your knees—you know, with your toes crunched or curled under you (owwww!!) for extended periods of time—orders of magnitude more comfortable. I don’t know if that was an intended design result, but Keen crushed it by keeping my toes un-crushed.

Plus, the toe on other hiker style boots I’ve owned is the first thing to go. I’m pretty sure the rest of the Tacoma will disintegrate—if it disintegrates—around the toe. That’s a FixitUp Feature Favorite to be sure.

Tack on a cool Kevlar-looking heel wrap and two-tone color choices that look like they mean business and I’ve got a return shot for a world that’s trying to kick my butt.