How to Choose Hiking Boots and Shoes

Comfort is king on the trail, and the men's Merrell Moab Speed 2 Mid GORE-TEX Hiking Boots deliver. This iteration is updated with 30% more foam underfoot as well as better breathability and traction.
Imported.
View the Merrell Moab Product LineView all Merrell Men's Day Hiking Boots| Best Use | Hiking |
|---|---|
| Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
| Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Type of Waterproofing | GORE-TEX waterproof membrane |
| Upper | Nylon ripstop/TPU |
| Lining | Recycled mesh |
| Midsole | FloatPro Foam |
| Support | FlexPlate |
| Outsole | Vibram TC5+ rubber |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 12.2 oz. |
| Gender | Men's |
| Sustainability | Contains recycled materials |
| 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| UK | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 |
| EU | 40 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 43 | 43.5 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
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These shoes are comfortable, have decent traction, live up to the waterproof promise, and hike pretty well. But their durability is questionable. I've put a couple hundred miles of trail hiking on them and the soles are starting to delaminate. I'm hoping that it was just a bad batch and if I replace them, the next pair will be better. But this pair is going back to REI. The only other slight ding is that they could use a better heel hold system. If I tie them tight enough to hold my heel back on downhills, they pinch a bit at the tie point. Not a deal breaker by any stretch, and I haven't had any real issues, but just a critique. FWIW, I added a pair of cork SOLE insoles and it made them much more stable and comfortable for longer hikes. Definitely a worthwhile addition to these shoes (or any performance shoe, for that matter). I have a wide size 10 foot and the 10W fit better than any other light hiker, trail running shoe I've tried.
These were great initially, but my husband has had them only a year and they've already fallen apart, meaning they're no longer waterproof, seams are ripping, and parts are delaminating. He doesn't even wear them daily... such a bummer! We wanted to like them more...
Great fit, especially in the wide width for my EE feet. Light and comfortable for hiking. I proved their waterproof-ness as well. I really wanted to love these shoes - and I did. Until I didn't. These just didn't live up to expectations. Hopefully it was just this pair, maybe a certain production run. The soles started to delaminate after a couple months and a few hundred miles of hiking. I think I'm going to exchange them for a pair of slightly more robust Merrells. The fit is so perfect. I added some Sole cork footbeds to them. The added support really made a difference.
So far so good. I was a solid Hoka guy when they had their Speedgoat 5 Mid GTX even though they had issues in terms of wear and tear. Hoka discontinued the "mid" models other than their $240 version. I just bought these and are in the process of breaking them in. They are very comfortable and haven't experienced any problems. The reason I gave a 4 star review, is that I cannot provide any details as to how they hold up as I put more miles on them. They feel great, and they have a bit more support both with the soles, and the sidewalls. I also like the single "taught hook" rather than the two on the Hokas.
Fit well, very light and provide good support. Third time I wore them, one of the second eyelets from the top broke while I was lacing them (see photo). Other three of second from the top eyelets look to be not far behind. I'm a big fan of Merrell hiking shoes/boots but these are disaster
I have used the Moab Speed 2 on 3 fishing outings. The last outing was fishing from shore, where I was standing, moving, walking on cements for 10 hours. Also, there was a light rain most of the time. The shoe performed very well in comfort, gripping on wet surfaces, and my feet did stay dry. I am not sure how well the shoe will perform in heavy down poors, but will be testing them when I can. Overall, I am very happy with my purchase.
This boot is totally underrated. I’ve never owned a pair of Merrill’s but recently bout a pair of Nova’s. I was so impressed with the fit and comfort, that I decided to buy these Moab Speeds for more rugged backpacking trips. Again I have not been disappointed with the comfort and fit. They have great stability in all terrains I’ve tested so far , with top notch traction even on wet moss covered boulders. I have bone spurs on one heel that get irritated quickly in most shoes I’ve tried, so far no problems with these.
These boots are sick. They fit true to size, look good, provide good traction, are durable enough and the water proofing holds up way better than what I was expecting. Feels like walking on a cloud compared to my old boots after break in. I'd recommend replacing the stock insoles with something else but that's just me.
It's a good boot overall. Comfort, fit, support,stability and all. My complaint is the Gore-tex waterproofing. I live in the rainy PNW and hike through some really wet days. The last two hikes they've soaked through to the point where I'm squishing water inside my boots every step. I don't know that there's a better option so I'll probably stick with these anyway.
I bought this shoes for my trip to redwoods. Im a new hike and i wanted to spend the money for something light, and waterproof. They recommended me this. After my first hike the tip of one of the shoes was debonding and i was very careful my entire hike since this were brand new. REI was very quick to refund me, but the shoe was a disappointment.