Reviews & Ratings for Kenetrek Hardscrabble Hiker Boots - Men's — 7 reviews — Page 1

I grew up in Scouts and I remember when I could hike 15 miles in a pair of sneakers and never think of my feet. In my 20’s I upgraded to cheap hiking boots. In my 40’s I liked Keens but in the last few years I would have foot pain after five miles with a pack. I am now 52 and everything I tried just didn’t feel right: awkward, cheap, unsupportive. I read about Kenetreks and decided give them a try. The first time I picked up my Hardscrabbles from Optics Planet I inspected the construction and tried to flex the sole. I immediately thought, “Now this is a boot.” I wore them around the house until I was convinced I had the right size then put on a 30 pound pack and walked three miles through my neighbourhood. When I got home I didn’t want to take them off. We are planning a 50 mile hike with the young men from church and I know these will be worth every penny for me. I wish I had found them sooner. I have tried on a lot of different boots and shoes. Most feel wrong, few feel right. For some the best boot might be Crispi or Lowa which appear to make a good boot at a similar price point. For me, these feel perfect.

I just ordered my second pair of Kenetrek Hardscrabble Hikers. I wore the first pair daily for 3.5 years with 2-3 months in the field each year. When I first tried them on I was frankly bummed because they were so damned comfortable that I to spend $400 on boots. But worth every penny. Plenty stiff enough to pack heavy loads, while still having enough flex to make hiking long distances easy. The sole and midsole soak up impact but are tough enough to handle more than three years of mountains, desert, and concrete. The high rand protects the boot from cuts and abrasion. I highly recommend them, but I recommend you buy them somewhere else. OP has good prices, but they don't update their stock on their website or communicate well about back orders. I can understand that during the pandemic, but they were no better before COVID. I can't recall an order with OP that didn't have an in-stock item end up on a long term back order.

These boots performed well beyond my expectations. I was in rocky steep terrain in a power line right of way working. They provided stability and traction. I had an ankle injury years ago and I'm always careful how I walk and where I walk. But as the job progressed I found I could move up and down the hill with little worry where I stepped. Would highly recommend these boots.

This is my second pair of a kenetrek boot. The first pair was using in a much colder climate. This pair was planned for milder temperatures, 45 to 85 degrees. These boots can be worn right out of the box. There is minimal to no break-in period; although I did break-in them by walking on the treadmill several times for about 8 miles. They fit perfectly for my size 10 EE. It has great ankle support especially if you hunt in an area that is rocky, and with what I call "rolling-rocks".Made with excellent craftsmanship and quality. I look at it this way; your boots are the most used equipment on your hunt, don't cheat yourself. If you can walk in your boots, you minimize your chance of filling out your tag.

Pros: Good quality, wide enough for wide feet, comfortable footbed, good lacing system. Didn't test fully but seem to have good tread and thick sole that insulates from rocks, etc.

Cons: Hot (haven't had a problem with shoes or boots being too hot for quite some time but these are). Heavy (good for backpacking or other loaded trekking, not good match for day hikes).

With wide forefoot and narrow heel not many boots will fit me. This one has true sizing and good forefoot width. I would have kept them despite the bulk and being a bit hot if the heel had not been too wide. Have tried a lot of boots on recently and this was one of top three in quality, sizing, comfort, looks.

Boots are a very personal thing. These happen to fit me perfectly and I have really put them to the test. Horrid glacial moraine, scree, boulder fields, willow thickets, you name it and these boots have seen it. They have been great and I will be recommending them to my friends.