KEEN Targhee vs LOWA Renegade: Which Mid Boot?

Specs side by side

On weight these two are effectively level: LOWA publishes 590 g for a single men's shoe, KEEN publishes 20.11 oz / 570 g for the men's - though KEEN does not state whether that is one boot or a pair, which is a real gap when 20 g is the whole difference. Treat them as the same weight and decide on something else.

The specs that actually separate them are the midsole construction, the width range and the membrane, in that order. Notice too what neither publishes: LOWA gives no cuff height, drop or stack, and KEEN gives no upper material on the Targhee pages we checked. We score an unpublished spec as neutral rather than guessing it, which is why both boots sit mid-table on weight and why this page leans on construction rather than numbers.

Luftcell vs double-injection PU: the real difference

This is the choice. KEEN's Luftcell is an air-injected foam midsole - lighter, softer, more immediately comfortable, and foam that will compress and pack out over its life. LOWA's midsole is a double-injection DuraPU/DynaPU: two polyurethane densities injected together, a firmer softer pairing that is the traditional construction for supportive European hiking boots.

Polyurethane behaves differently from EVA-type foams in two ways that matter to a hiker. It is stiffer for the same thickness, so it resists the midsole folding under a load, which is the function that takes work off your arch on long days and under a pack. And it generally holds its properties longer under compression, which is why PU shows up on backpacking boots. The trade is firmness underfoot and a boot that needs a real break-in - the method is in how to break in hiking boots.

So the decision reduces to: how much are you carrying, and for how long. Day hikes with water and a jacket on maintained trail, the softer KEEN is more comfortable and you will never miss the stiffness. Loaded packs over rock and root, LOWA's construction is doing something you can feel. That is the same logic that orders best backpacking boots and best hiking boots for rocky terrain.

Widths: both say wide, but the women's answer differs

Both boots come in a wide for men - LOWA lists the Renegade EVO GTX Mid in men's Medium and Wide, KEEN lists the Targhee IV Mid Waterproof in men's standard and Wide. For women the two part company. KEEN publishes a women's Targhee IV Mid Waterproof Wide, with its own product page and a 24 mm stack figure. LOWA's women's WS version is sold in Medium only.

That one line decides a lot of purchases, and it is the clearest reason to pick the KEEN. There is no sizing trick around it: a half size up adds length, not forefoot width, and a narrow last on a wide foot is a pressure point rather than a secure fit. KEEN's standard last is also cut roomier than LOWA's before any width letter is applied, which compounds the advantage - the detail is in do KEEN boots run wide? For the full width field see best hiking boots for wide feet, and for how width letters differ between brands, hiking boot widths explained.

KEEN.DRY vs GORE-TEX

The Renegade EVO has a GORE-TEX lining; the Targhee IV Mid has KEEN.DRY, KEEN's own membrane. No published test lets anyone rank the two on waterproofness, so we will not. What differs is who stands behind it: GORE-TEX carries its own separate guarantee on top of the brand warranty, and KEEN.DRY carries KEEN's. If your hiking is reliably wet, that second guarantee is worth something on its own.

Both boots are also leather-family uppers - LOWA uses Heinen Terracare nubuck, KEEN does not state the material on the pages we checked - which means both need the same maintenance to keep working. Nubuck in particular must never be waxed; the material-by-material routine is in how to waterproof hiking boots. And the prior question of whether you want a membrane at all is in waterproof vs. non-waterproof hiking boots.

What neither boot can promise

Both of these are filed under ankle support on this site, and both deserve a caveat. Neither LOWA nor KEEN publishes a cuff height for these models, so "how much ankle coverage am I getting" is not a question the product pages answer. More importantly, a mid cuff is not a sprain-prevention device. Per the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the biggest risk factor for an ankle sprain is having had one before - which points at proprioception and strength, not at boot height. We go through the evidence properly in do hiking boots prevent ankle sprains?

What a boot like this genuinely contributes is torsional stability underfoot - a stiff midsole that does not let the sole twist under you on off-camber ground - plus a lacing system you can lock the heel into. On that measure the LOWA's double-injection PU midsole is the stronger of the two, and it is the honest reason to pick it for unsteady ankles. The heel-lock technique that completes the job costs nothing and is in hiking boot lacing techniques.

Who should skip both

Skip both if you want a light boot. At roughly 570-590 g a shoe these are mid-weight hikers, and if your hiking is short and maintained there is a lighter answer - best lightweight hiking boots starts at 11.6 oz a shoe, and hiking boots vs. trail runners asks whether you need a boot at all.

Skip both if you want a boot you can rebuild: neither publishes a resole path, and the brands that do are in most durable hiking boots. Skip the KEEN if your feet are narrow, because the roomy last works against you - best hiking boots for narrow feet is the page for that. And skip the LOWA if you are a woman who needs a wide, for the reason above.

If you are still weighing these two against the rest of the field, the three comparisons that come up most often alongside this one are Salomon Quest vs LOWA Renegade, which settles how much structure you actually want, KEEN Targhee vs Merrell Moab, which is the width-against-width decision, and Oboz Sawtooth vs KEEN Targhee. The two brand rankings behind this page are best KEEN hiking boots and best hiking boots for ankle support.