User Review: Keen Men's Voyageur Mid

The Keen Voyager Mid is my all-time favorite boot to wear for canoeing and portaging in the Boundary Waters (Minnesota) and Quetico (Ontario). I load and unload my canoe in the water to protect it from wear and tear, and I haul big loads (a canoe plus a 40-50 lb. pack) over very rugged terrain (jagged rocks, steep and crumbly slopes, hip-deep mud) with soaking wet feet. I need something that will protect and support my feet and ankles, then dry out quickly once I make camp.

The Voyageur delivers all this performance with an outstanding level of comfort. I used to buy inexpensive light-hikers, and I usually trashed them after one or two trips. The Voyagers have survived three long trips (7-10 days) getting soaked every day and drying out every night, and they still perform beautifully and show little sign of wear (I only wear them on canoe trips). They are the most comfortable and quickest-drying hiking boot I have ever found. As long as they fit the shape of your foot, I think they are ideal for wilderness canoeing.

I started canoeing in the BWCA and Quetico in 1983, and I have taken fourteen trips to the area, ranging from solos to groups of eight, and from four to fifteen days. Back in the early to mid 90s, I worked part-time in outdoor gear stores (Burger Brothers, REI) and sold boots, but I never had any experience with Keen products until buying sandals in 2007 and the Voyagers in 2008.