The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
Tenerife is one of Spain’s Canary Islands and known for its beautiful coastal scenery, sun, sand, and natural beauty. It has been a holiday hotspot for British and European travellers for generations, and with good reason. Beyond its sun and sand, it is also known to hikers and cyclists as a place for the great outdoors and beautifully challenging terrain. I recently visited this beautiful island and had a chance to try out and review a pair of KEEN Targhee IV Waterproof Hiking Shoes.
Many of us love hikes outdoors, especially ones that really push us to the limit. The last thing you want to worry about when you are taking one of those hikes is your shoes. They should be there as reliable support and traction when you need them, and comfortable throughout. You should not have to worry about them holding up. They are a tool. That is why the KEEN Targhee IV is such a strong option for hiking or even walking around town.
The hike begins above Los Cristianos, where the southern edge of Tenerife rises quickly into volcanic slope and broken ridgelines. Almost immediately, the path starts to climb in switchbacks, cutting back and forth across steep ground. Each turn opens a slightly different angle of the landscape, with scrubland giving way to exposed rock and distant views of the coastline behind.
As elevation builds, the view expands in every direction. Mountains fold into one another, valleys cut through the terrain, and unusual rock formations rise from the slopes like fragments of an older landscape. There is a constant sense of movement not just underfoot but across the entire field of vision.
Los Cristianos steadily shrinks below, becoming smaller with each turn until it eventually disappears completely as the path wraps around the mountain. At that point, the perspective shifts fully inward. The focus becomes the climb itself, the steady rise through heat, stone, and wind.
Higher up, cell towers appear on the skyline marking the high ridge. Just beyond, the highest peak opens a wide view across layered mountains and valleys. Other hikers and endurance runners pass along the same route, moving with a lightness that contrasts sharply with the steep gradient.
From the ridge, the landscape drops away on all sides. Cliffs fall toward the Atlantic, farmland spreads across distant plains, and the terrain unfolds in sharp contrast and elevation. It is a view defined by scale and constant change.
On steep switchbacks, where weight shifts forward and traction is constantly tested, the KEEN Targhee IV provides a stable base. It reduces the small slips that build fatigue on loose volcanic gravel, keeping movement steady without removing the difficulty of the climb.
Beyond the ridge, the route continues through scrubland and fractured rock toward the coastline. The ground shifts constantly between dusty earth, jagged stone, and narrow paths carved through low vegetation. In places, the trail runs close to cliff edges where the Atlantic opens fully below, waves breaking far beneath the walking line.
Through all of this, the KEEN Targhee IV remains unobtrusive. It transitions from scrubland to wet coastal sections without hesitation, holding a consistent feel across surfaces that change within short distances. The focus stays on the landscape rather than the footwear, which is exactly where it should be on terrain like this.
The KEEN Targhee IV is a structured hiking shoe designed for durability and protection rather than lightness or speed. On this kind of terrain, that structure becomes immediately apparent.
The Original Fit provides space across the forefoot, which becomes particularly important on sustained ascents where feet begin to swell and pressure shifts forward. This room allows natural spread and balance, especially on uneven ground where stability depends on subtle adjustments rather than fixed positions.
LUFTCELL cushioning manages repeated impact through both ascent and descent. It does not feel overly soft, but it maintains a consistent platform across long hours of movement. On steep switchbacks and extended downhill sections, this steady response reduces cumulative fatigue.
KEEN.FUSION bonded construction replaces traditional adhesives with a heat and pressure process that fuses the upper to the sole. The result is a more unified structure designed to maintain integrity under repeated flex and load. On terrain that constantly changes angle and resistance, this consistency becomes important.
The KEEN.PROTECT toe bumper adds a protective barrier against rock impacts, particularly useful on narrow ridge paths where visibility of footing can be limited. It reduces hesitation when stepping through uneven or partially obscured ground.
The KEEN.RUGGED outsole provides dependable grip across mixed terrain. On loose volcanic gravel it holds well enough to maintain control, while on compact rock and scrubland it remains steady and predictable. It is not aggressive in a technical climbing sense, but it is reliable across long, varied routes.
KEEN.DRY waterproofing performs quietly in the background. It keeps moisture out during shallow water crossings and damp coastal sections while allowing vapour to escape during sustained exertion. On a route that moves between heat, elevation, and coastal humidity, that balance is noticeable.
As the route descends from the ridge, the coastline gradually reappears and the terrain softens. Movement shifts from exposed ridge lines into more forgiving ground, though it remains uneven underfoot. Fatigue builds slowly through the legs rather than the feet, which is often the clearest sign that a shoe is doing its job on long terrain like this.
The final walk into town completes the transition. Volcanic terrain gives way to paved streets, and the landscape compresses back into built space. The same shoes that handled steep climbs, loose gravel, fractured rock, and coastal paths now move easily through cafés, walkways, and roads without feeling out of place.
That continuity defines the experience. The KEEN Targhee IV does not change the terrain, but it remains steady through all of it, from the first switchbacks above Los Cristianos to the final steps back into town.
