www.keenfootwear.com | £140
If your feet are on the wide side and you find boots tend to be a little tight across the forefront, then the Keen Erickson PCT are the boots for you. Keen footwear will appeal to anyone with wider feet and, as fit is everything when it comes to footwear, your search could well end here. You don’t have to downgrade on quality to get that perfect fit either; the Erickson PCT is a brilliant, leather, three-season walking boot.
Over the past few months the Erickson PCT has been taking quite a battering on the trails around Snowdonia, Brecon and the Lakes and it has become my boot of choice for hill walking. It’s supremely comfortable, straight from the box, and I could even go so far as to say they’re the most comfortable pair of hiking boots I’ve worn. A number of factors contribute to the overall comfort of the boots but a well designed footbed supports the foot excellently and the midsole flex point is spot on.
The sole provides a great grip in all conditions and environments, from dry rocky paths to wet, muddy trails and the stiffened midsole provides a lot of support. To help protect your toes and the front of the boot from stubs on rocks, the sole comes over the toes in a patented design that Keen has called Keen Protect. It works well and acts as a good bumper if you’re kicking into rocks or snow, but we’re not too keen on the bright yellow exclamation mark on the front of the boots, purely for aesthetic reasons. A bit of mud soon hides that though!
The upper is made from a tough, full-grain leather with Keen’s Dry waterproof membrane to help protect you even further, and the boots look beautiful. We really enjoyed testing the Keen Erickson PCTs: the out of the box comfort lasted throughout the day on several long hikes and they support the foot well and look pretty damn stylish.
Keen Erickson PCT Verdict
So comfortable my feet cried a little when I took them off