If my feet could talk, I'm sure they were wondering where the Halloween party was. That's the kind of thought that jumps into your mind when you don a pair of KEEN's Marshall Mid WP's in their raven/spicy orange colors.

These hiking boots (MSRP $140) are so brightly colored that they put my father-in-law's cowboy boots, which feature a black background overlaid by a bright red Wyoming buckin' bronco with red stitching, to shame. 

KEEN's Marshalls in raven/spicy orange, blinders extra. 

Glaring colors aside, these lightweight hikers have a role. They are light, just 15 ounces a pair, and that makes them both easy on the feet and easy on the luggage if you pack them for a trip. The synthetic fabrics that went into them are waterproof, a definite plus, breathable, and also easy on the feet. No break-in required.

The solid rubber outer souls are great for gripping slickrock (though not quite as gripping as sticky rubber), a feature good to have when you're scampering around Arches or Canyonlands national parks, or any other national park in Utah for that matter.

And, thanks to the lightweight fabric and the lacing system, they fit like the proverbial glove right out of the box. Sure-footedness is assured with the Marshalls. 

But you just might want to opt for a different color, say the raven/neutral gray or perhaps the cascade brown/olivenite.