Keen vs Salomon: Both Hiking Shoes and Boots Compared [Guide-2023]

When it comes to Keen vs Salomon comparison, it could be really compelling to pick the right hiking shoes or hiking boots. Both brands are very popular. So, what is the difference between Keen and Salomon? This, time we compared the hiking shoes and boots of Keen and Salomon, and list the key differences between them to help you make a clear decision on this comparison.

At first glance, the main difference between these two is the price tag. Usually, Salomon hiking shoes and boots are expensive than the ones of Keen. So, is it worth buying the Salomon instead of Keen? Definetly, we recommend Salomon over Keen, if you can pay a bit more. Because of its higher built quality and the field performance, we admire both hiking shoes and boots of Salomon and pick them over the ones of Keen. On the other hand, if you are looking for a more budged option, Keen’s hiking shoes and boots are darn good products and recommended as well.

Here is the table we have put together to help you better understand Keen vs Salomon Hiking Shoes Comparison:

Here is the table we have put together to help you better understand Keen vs Salomon Hiking Boots Comparison:

You may also wonder “Keen vs Merrell: Both Hiking Shoes and Boots Compared” post.

Keen VS Salomon HIKING SHOES COMPARISON

Considering the hiking shoes options, we have Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX, and Keen Targhee III and Targhee II.

Keen offers Targhee hiking shoes as Targhee II and Targhee III. If you wonder the differences between these two, we recommend reading our Keen Targhee II vs III hiking shoes comparison.

Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee III Hiking Shoes: Main Differences

To begin with, both Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX and Keen Targhee III hiking shoes are great. However, when we compare their performance side-by-side, the X Ultra 4 GTX excels the Keen Targhee III. The main differences between these two is the water-proof membrane. Salomon uses Gore-Tex which is a well-known water-proof membrane and widely used on many products. On the other hand, Keen use its own Keen.Dry water-proof membrane.

Honestly, none of these membranes are 100% water-proof, but they can resist water penetration up to a point. However, we gave 5/5 to Salomon considering water resistance, since the Gore-Tex membrane is the best one in the market place. Unlikely, Keen.Dry membrane is less water-proof in comparison to Gore-Tex.

The midsole construction of Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX is made of injected EVA and its last board/shank is Molded Advanced Chasis. We found Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX is more suitable for rough and uneven terrain than the Keen Targhee III, since Targhee III has dual density EVA midsole and ESS shank. On the other hand, the Advance Chasis of Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX offers a better foot control and gives the best comfort.

Considering the traction, we found the outsole rubber and lug patterns of Salomon more useful than the ones of Keen. Indeed, Keen is more traditional but Salomon is more innovative. Salomon developed ContaGrip rubber to offer great traction and based on our field experience we really liked it.

Here is the list we have put together to help you better understand Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee III hiking shoes side by side comparison:

So, which one is a better hiking shoe? It may seem complicated, but what we recommend is to consider your budged while making your decision. If you can pay a bit more, we definetly recommend Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX over Keen Targhee III. The Salomon is the one which produces the best hiking shoes in the market. However, Keen Targhee III is also a great option, and very reasonable when it comes to price vs performance. Except the water-resistance and traction performance, it is really hard to compare these two, if you are not an experienced hiker. You can check out the links on the table above and the get the latest rates of both hiking shoes in Amazon.com and compare them from the price point.

Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee II Hiking Shoes: Main Differences

The key difference between Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee II is the traction, water resistance and the price tag. The Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX has Gore-Tex water-proof membrane on it, which makes it a better option on when it comes to water resistance. Likewise, Keen offers Keen.Dry waterproof membrane on the Targhee II. However, the field performance of the Keen.Dry is below the Gore-Tex.

Here is the list we have put together to help you better understand Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee II hiking shoes side by side comparison:

Our verdict for Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee II hiking shoes: This time, it is really a hard decision. We prefer Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX as the all-terrain hiking shoe. It is a premium product but also higly expensive. On the other hand, Keen Targhee II is very competitive and budged friendly. So, if you are a new hiker, it would be better for you to go with the Keen Targhee II. You can check out the performance table above, and decide which criteria are most important for you to pick the right hiking shoe. From price point, you can check out the links on the table above to find out the latest deals on Amazon.com.

Keen VS Salomon HIKING BOOTS COMPARISON

Considering the hiking boots options, we have Salomon Quest 4 GTX and X Ultra 4 Mid GTX, and Keen Targhee III Mid and Keen Targhee II Mid.

Keen offers Targhee hiking boots as Targhee II Mid and Targhee III Mid. If you wonder the differences between these two, we recommend reading our Keen Targhee II Mid vs III Mid hiking boots comparison.

Let’s start off comparison of Salomon vs Keen Hiking Boots:

Salomon Quest 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee III Mid Hiking Boots: Main Differences

Both hiking boots are versatile and great. But, there are some differences that we need to focus before making a decision. So, when we evaluate them side by side, we found the main differences between the Salomon Quest 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee III Mid hiking boots are related to their stability and water resistance.

The midsole construction of Salomon Quest 4 GTX is made of EnergyCell which works very well when it comes to shock attenuation. In this aspect, Salomon Quest 4 GTX does better than the Keen Targhee III Mid which uses standard Dual density EVA midsole.

About the stability, Salomon’s Advanced 4D Chasis is especially designed to provide best foot control and active comfort. However, Keen Targhee III Mid uses ESS Torsional Shank. The ESS Torsinal Shank is a bit older than the Advanced 4D Chasis.

How about the water resistance? When it comes to water-proof rating of these two hiking boots, Salomon uses the well-known Gore-Tex membrane. On the other hand, Keen uses its own Keen.DRY membrane. Honestly, none of these membranes are 100% water-proof, but they can resist water penetration up to a point. However, we gave 5/5 to Salomon considering water resistance, since the Gore-Tex membrane is the best one in the market place. Unlikely, M Select Dry membrane is less water-proof in comparison to Gore-Tex.

Here is the list we have put together to help you better understand Salomon Quest 4 GTXs vs Keen Targhee III Mid hiking boots side by side comparison:

So, which one is a better hiking boot? Our personal preference is to go with the Salomon Quest 4 GTX hiking boot, since it offers great experience in many aspects. However, if you are looking for a more budged option, Keen Targhee III Mid is still a great hiking boot. From the price stand point, you can check out the links on the table above to get the latest rates on Amazon.com.

Salomon Quest 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots: Main Differences

We compared Salomon Quest 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee II Mid and would like to share the key differences between them. Briefly, Salomon Quest 4 GTX is suitable for all types of terrain. However, Keen Targhee II Mid is very competitive and comes with a very reasonable price tag. It is low cost, and lightweight in comparison to Salomon Quest 4 GTX.

In the table below, we summarized the key differences between Keen Targhee II Mid and Salomon Quest 4 GTX. However, if we need to highlight the main difference, then we need to talk about the water-resistance. The Salomon has Gore-Tex on it which works great on wet environment. However, Keen has Keen.Dry waterproof membrane on it. Honestly, both of them works great, but the overall water-resistance of the Gore-Tex is better than the Keen.Dry.

Here is the list we have put together to help you better understand Keen Targhee II Mid vs Salomon Quest 4 GTX Hiking Boots side by side comparison:

Our Verdict for the Keen Targhee II Mid vs Salomon Quest 4 GTX hiking boots comparison: In overall, Salomon Quest 4 GTX is the best hiking boot. It is a premium product which comes with a higher price tag in comparison to the Keen Targhee II Mid. On the other hand, Targhee II Mid is a darn good hiking boot. If you are budged restricted, we recommend going with the Targhee II Mid. You can check out the links on the table above to see the latest deals for both of them on Amazon.

Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX vs Keen Targhee III Mid Hiking Boots: Main Differences

If you are looking for a darn good hiking boot and end-up with Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX vs Keen Targhee III Mid, we will definitely recommend the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX over Keen Targhee III Mid.

Indeed, there is a lot to say when we compare the Salomon with the Keen. The structure and the design technology is completely different. For instance, the Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX uses Salomon’s Advance Chasis to provide great foot control. On the other hand, Keen Targhee III Mid uses ESS Torsinal Stability which is a bit older than the Advance Chasis sytem.

Also, Salomon has Gore-Text on its X Ultra 4 Mid GTX which is a well-known water-proof membrane. The Keen has its own Keen.Dry water-proof membrane. Honestly, none of these membranes are 100% water-proof. Yet, we had a better field experience with the Gore-Tex products on the wet environment, therefore Salomon does better than the Keen considering the water-resistance.

Here is the list we have put together to help you better understand Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX vs Keen Targhee III Mid hiking boots side by side comparison:

So, if you are in between of Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX or Keen Targhee III Mid, we definitely recommend the Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX hiking boot over the Targhee III Mid. However, it is up to you at the end. You can check the table above and decide which parameter or performance criteria are most important to you while picking the right hiking boot.

Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX vs Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots: Main Differences

We compared the Keen Targhee II Mid vs Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX and would like to share the key differences between them. Although, there are lots of thing to say, the main difference between them is the water-resistance. Both hiking boots are water-proof up to a level, but not completely. In this case, Salomon uses Gore-Tex membrane to offer water resistance whereas Keen uses its own Keen.Dry membrane. From this point of view, Gore-Tex show a better water resistance compared to the Keen.Dry.

On the other hand, when we evaluate both product from overall performance stand point, they perform very similar. However, the Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX is quite expensive compared to the Keen Targhee II Mid. So, the question, is it worth buying Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX and pay more? We don’t think so!

Here is the list we have put together to help you better understand Salomon X Ultra 4 Mid GTX vs Keen Targhee II Mid Hiking Boots side by side comparison:

BOTTOM-LINE

For the hiking shoes, our verdict for Keen vs Salomon comparison is;

• You can go with Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX, if you are looking for great comfort, versatility (usable for both dry and wet environment) and support/stability.
• You can go with Keen Targhee II, if you are budged restricted. The Targhee II is still a great hiking shoe and performs very well compared to the its competitors in the market place.

For the hiking boots, our verdict for Keen vs Salomon comparison is;

• The Salomon Quest 4 GTX is the winner of Keen vs Salomon hiking boots comparison. Its performance excels the Keen Targhee III Mid and Targhee II Mid hiking boots. Therefore, we highly recommend the Salomon Quest 4 GTX over Keen Targhee line.
• On the other hand, if your criterion for hiking boot is price tag, then you can consider Keen Targhee II Mid which is both budged friendly and performs very well.

If you are wondering the differences between Keen and Merrell shoes, we highly recommend reading our “Merrell vs Salomon: Both Hiking Shoes and Boots Compared” article.