I’ve been testing the Keen Leiki Waterproof Hiking Shoes and I’m impressed — but this one thing holds them back

As an avid weekend hiker, I’ve tested out my fair share of the best hiking boots over the years, so I know exactly what works for me. I need decent support and, since I have narrow feet, a wide shoe just won’t do. The Keen Leiki Waterproof Hiking Shoes are the perfect solution to this, as they are designed specifically for women, meaning they are made with a narrower fit in mind.

There’s great support for the arch of the foot, too, and they even look pretty stylish. They’re suitable for all terrain and are waterproof, so they can take on pretty much anything, but be wary that the outsole is pretty stiff, so it takes a breaking-in period to flex with your feet.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Keen Leiki Waterproof Hiking Shoes review.

Keen Leiki review: Specs

Keen Leiki review: Price & availability

The Keen Leiki Waterproofs are available for purchase on the REI website for $160. The shoes are also available in select sizes at Amazon U.S. starting from $76, but sizes and colors are limited. In the U.K., Amazon prices for these shoes are almost double and size availability is poor. But you can purchase the shoes directly from Keen, where the shoes cost £125.

The shoes come in three different colorways that adopt earthy tones, making them some of the best-looking outdoor shoes (in my opinion). They come in black/steel grey, winter moss/granite green, and skyway/star white. I tested the black/steel grey, which was a great option to go with any outfit, and worked because most of my hiking gear is pretty neutral.

Similar shoes for mixed-trail walking are the Icebug Rover 2 RB9X GTX, and these come in similar colorways but offer a BOA closure, which uses wires that tighten the shoe in place of traditional laces. They’re a little more expensive than the Leiki shoes at $199, but the upper is more tightly sealed, offering waterproofing in rainy and muddy conditions.

For something with ankle support, you could look to the Keen Zionic NXT Mid Waterproofs, which are priced at $184. These are more suited to rugged trails as they will offer more protection to your joints if you slip.

Keen Leiki review: Design

The Keen Leiki Waterproofs may have hiking written all over them, but they look like tennis shoes. We need to admit it, sometimes hiking shoes are just plain ugly, and that puts you off wearing them, but thanks to the stylish look of the Leikis, I’ve even been wearing them to the store. As I mentioned, they’re available in three colors; each is in muted tones, which you can match to whatever biome you intend to wear them in most.

Many styles of hiking shoes are unisex, which are often wider, allowing them to cater to both women’s feet (which are typically narrower) and men’s (which are typically wider). This can lead to more rubbing and blisters if the size doesn’t suit you.

But the Leikis are different. These are shoes designed entirely for women and have a fit specifically suited to the female body. I noticed a slightly narrower fit, but still had enough room in the toe box for the shoe to be comfortable for extended hiking sessions. Having this snug, contoured fit means less rubbing and fewer opportunities for blisters.

In recent Keen shoes I’ve tested, like the Targhee IV boots, I noticed that because of the snug fit, I didn’t experience any blisters.

Speaking of the fit, I have a high arch on my feet from years of ballet training, and as such, I need a lot of support. This is actually a lot harder to come by than you would think in the world of hiking and running shoes.

In my experience, if I wear shoes with lower arches that don’t offer much support, my feet begin to ache after walking all day. This leads to lower backache, because if your feet aren’t being supported correctly, you will feel it literally everywhere. The high arch in the Leiki shoe provided me with a lot of support, which meant I could walk for far longer than usual without any aches.

High Rebound foam in the sole of the shoe also helps with comfort and movement to propel you on your journey. And when this is combined with the Luftcell air-injected insole, which has nearly 100,000 air bubbles per cubic centimeter, I could feel that my feet weren’t becoming fatigued as quickly — I was literally walking on air.

The shoes use the KEEN.ALL-TERRAIN rubber outsole that has 4mm lugs for security on the ground, even on slippier surfaces. This outsole is also used on the Keen Hightrail Mid shoes, which offer a lot of grip. However, since the rubber is hard, the shoe felt pretty stiff (more on this later). There’s a shank in the midsole that offers further stability to the shoe and decreased flex, though, making it feel more like a sturdy hiking boot.

The KEEN.DRY waterproof membrane seals out moisture from the inside, so water will never reach your socks, and my feet stayed completely dry even in wet weather. This membrane is used in all of the Keen shoes we have tested and is totally effective in keeping the water out.

But you could also go for some shoes with GoreTex waterproofing, like the IceBugs that do as good a job with a different finish. Combined with the waterproof synthetic and textile upper of the Leikis, these hiking shoes are going to keep you totally dry even through puddles… just not past your ankles.

Keen Leiki review: Performance

I’ve been testing the Keen Leiki Waterproofs for about two months now, and I have to say, I’m totally impressed… but it didn’t start like that. In fact, when I first wore the shoes, I was shocked at how stiff the soles were.

When I first wore the shoes, the outsole had very little flex, making them feel more like sturdy hiking boots. You obviously want this if you’re taking on rocky terrain with heavy backpacks. However, since there’s no ankle support, you’d need to be very careful on more challenging terrain — that means these boots are primarily designed for gentler trails, where walking initially feels flat-footed due to the stiffness.

Thankfully, after the eighth time I wore them, the Leikis started giving way to my cadence and offered more flexibility. The KEEN.ALL-TERRAIN rubber outsole is super grippy, and despite walking on muddy trails with some uneven slopes, I didn’t slip once (and I’m pretty clumsy). This is a similar result to when we tested the Keen Hightrail Mids.

On the soles of the shoes, the 4mm lugs offer insane grip. These dug into the ground as I walked, offering leverage on rocky terrain and mud, which made me feel a lot more secure on trickier terrain, where the extra traction was exactly what I needed.

As long as you can get past the initial stiffness of the soles of the shoes, these are a perfect addition to your walking gear. But you could try a softer sole with just as much traction, like the Icebug Rover 2 RB9X GTX.

Keen Leiki review: Maintenance

The Keen Leiki Waterproofs are, well, waterproof and won’t get soaked through unless you take them into water above your ankles. If that happens, you need to dry them off before putting them away, or you run the risk of them getting a little stinky. But if you are looking for something that you can use in these waters that will also give you grip, the Keen Jasper Zionics are the perfect middle ground.

The shoes should only be spot cleaned with a gentle cleaner, and Keen says that you should not use bleach on them.

Keen Leiki review: Verdict

The Keen Leiki Waterproofs are an excellent set of women’s all-terrain sneakers for anyone needing a good-fitting and supportive pair of shoes for any outdoor challenge. The shoes are waterproof, so they are suited for walking at any time of the year, and they look good too, as they are modeled after tennis shoes.

The sturdy outsole offers a lot of grip and support on the most challenging or slippery terrain, but this also means the Leikis end up being really stiff, although this improves as you wear them in. Given that there’s also no ankle support, I'd pass on these shoes for any mountains, though.

As far as reliable shoes go, the Leikis check that box. And with the specific design for women, the support is the big win, making them an essential addition to my ever-growing outdoor shoe collection.