The Keen Karraig Mid WP is a medium height walking shoe with a high shank. It is suitable for longer tours with a large backpack. Read the review.
Fit
Despite the fact that the Keen is produced in Europe, the fit of the Keen Karraig Mid WP is much like fuller American feet. It is therefore suitable for normal to wide full feet.
Construction
The upper of the Keen Karraig Mid WP is made entirely of leather. Where the tongue unfolds and around the shank, synthetic material is used for suppleness. The leather has a PFC-free water-repellent layer. The sole ensures that the shoe has a decent bumper around it. The sole is quite stiff but the bending point is too far back. The nose has a wide extra layer of rubber. The Keen has eyelets on the forefoot and on the shank as well. On the part between forefoot and shank the eyes are made of plastic. The shank has a blocking eye so you can adjust the lace tension on the shank and the forefoot separately. In my opinion the eye is a bit too high. On the shank is an extra loop so you can give even more support to the ankles. The shoe is equipped with Keens own Keen.Dry membrane.
Putting on
The tongue can be opened wide forwards so that coming into the shoe goes smoothly. Closing the laces is another story. Because the blocking eye is actually too high, you should first remove the laces from the blocking eye and then tighten the laces on the forefoot one by one by hand. Then put the laces back and tighten the upper side. In short… quite a hassle. If you want more ankle support, you can still use the extra loop, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Furthermore, the thick laces do not slide smoothly through the eyes. The loop that prevents the tongue from sinking obliquely is on the lower side.
Keen Karraig Mid WP Practice
The weight of the shoes is on the heavy side in this category and you will notice that while walking. The shoes are quite comfortable to wear and the padding of the shank is the reason. Around the inflection point of the toes there are quite some folds in the leather. Less nice is the removable insole: the structure is quite coarse and I feel some friction through the socks. The outsole usually offers good grip, but has a tendency to hold mud. The leather has proven to be strong and the protected nose is very robust. It’s striking that the water-repellent layer doesn’t really seem to work: walking through wet grass provides soggy spots. The shoes have proven to be waterproof. However, I have had quite some sweaty feet. Because of the high shank, the wading height of 13 cm is very generous.
Verdict
The Keen Karraig Mid WP is slightly on the high side in terms of weight. The high shank offers quite some support. They are suitable for walks in the low and middle high mountains with a not too heavy backpack. Say 40 to 50 liters. The outsole has good grip on different surfaces. The heel has a good brake for walking downhill. However, mud can easily get stuck in it. The fit is quite wide and therefore fitting in the shop is recommended. The leather might be waxed to prevent water getting a grip on it but in practise the leather does get rather wet regrettably. The shoes are waterproof but unfortunately the breathability is not that great. Good is the high wading hight of the membrane. It’s a pity that the Keens are not resoleable. The price of € 189,95 is pretty firm considering the offer. I rate the Keen Karraig Mid WP at 7.1 out of 10 points.
- Price: € 189,95
- Weight: R 697,5 gr / L 704,7 gr (size 8)
- Category: B
- Upper: Leather
- Membrane: Keen.Dry
- Outsole: Keen All Terrain+
- Resoleable: No
- Fit: For normal to wide feet.
- Sizes: 6-14
- Women’s model: The ladies version of the Karraig will be available from August 2019.
Information: www.keenfootwear.com
