How to Choose Hiking Boots

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The men's Merrell Moab Mid waterproof light hikers work hard on all your warm- and wet-weather active endeavors.
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View the Merrell Moab Product LineView all Merrell Men's Day Hiking BootsBest Use | Hiking |
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Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Waterproof | Yes |
Upper | Waterproof leather/nylon mesh |
Lining | M-Select DRY waterproof breathable membrane/nylon mesh |
Midsole | EVA |
Support | Nylon arch shank |
Outsole | Vibram rubber/rubber |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 15 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
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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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Purchased the Moab mid in store prior to this trip as I have been satisfied with some of Merrell's other products in the past. I am on day 60 with the boot and am completely dissatisfied. The following points are the key items to consider if thinking about purchasing this boot for anything other then going to the coffee shop. - Not waterproof (at all, 0%) - does not breath - stitching splits on the upper - Sole splits away from upper under the arch I don't even hike in these boots!!! I got them to travel in and use at camp and they don't hold up to that. Wouldn't take another pair of these if they were free.
Im on my second set and still have a water leakage issue but in a different spot. After about a month of break in period on my first pair I tested to see how waterproof these boots were. I tested them in shallow water right up to the bottom of my ankle. No where near the top. On my first pair water came into my left boot near the ball of my foot. I went in and exchanged them. After two weeks I tested the second pair and it was the right boot that had a leakage on the outside of my right foot. The boots fit great but if they claim to be waterproof they should be. Nothing like being on a long hike with a wet foot when youve paid for them to be dry.
I had a pair of Moab's from a few years ago, LOVED them. So I thought after 4 years of intensive wear on my shoes I thought I purchase a new one (My original pair of Moab's still had good thread, just wanted new shoes). First thing I noticed was the "Waterproof" badge where as my other pair of shoes had the "GORE-TEX" badge. After doing some more research and calling Merrell, they notified me that the Moab's with "Waterproof" are not indeed made from Gore-tex materials. So, buyer beware. These are not as breathable and when walking in them you can hear plastic crunching. It almost makes me think they just lined the shoe with plastic in hopes it will be waterproof. Sigh.
I am am avid day hiker that spends summers in the Rocky Mountains. I tried the Moab because of the popular recommendations and suggestion from REI associate. I found the ankle height to be lower compared to Vasques and Lowe mids. Thus I didn't get the support and side protection I liked when scrambling or on talice. It also only has one upper lace hook, so I couldn't tie the way I like for downhill treks. Check your european sizing - while it runs in US sizes, the corresponding euro sizes are lower. I developed pain in my big toe. I found the lacing mechanism hard to keep the front from being tight, when cranking down the upper laces. This is clearly a great boot, but try it before you buy it if at all possible.
This boot is a poor reproduction of the previous generation of this Moab Mid boot. I wore out at least 2 other pairs I had bought at REI, which were extremely comfortable from the moment I tried them on. So, based on this previous experience, I bought this new boot online. Alas, turns out this boot is a different beast altogether: It looks the same, but it's built on a different last (the 10 1/2 M is actually shorter--more like a 10--than my earlier Moab Mid 10 1/2 M). The new Moab Mid boots don't have Gore-Tex liners, and the padding materials are definitely inferior. I'm returning these; I've hiked and backpacked enough to know when a boot is gonna be trouble.
I have had these boots since October of 2012. They are comfortable and fit properly, but they are not waterproof. If you are walking around town in a light rain, no worries. But if you have to step in a few puddles or tiny streams, expect these boots to leak. I spent the weekend in Dolly Sods with wet feet because my Moabs failed me. I am very disappointed because all of the other pairs of Merrells I've owned have been great boots that lasted years and were actually waterproof. I would not buy these unless you need a comfortable pair of boots to wear around town or on short hikes when the weather is nice.
I really like these boots! I've had them for almost a month (I know, not very long) and they have proved to be amazingly comfortable. I hike in them almost every day and there was almost no break-in time. My feet have been warm and dry while wearing these. I have been hiking bluffs in Wisconsin, so they have seen all conditions from mud and rock to snow and ice and the lugged Vibram outsoles have proved their worth by keeping my foot in place. My only warning is to check whether or not you will need wide or regular fit and know before buying! I tried these on in the store and walked all around and thought they were perfect, but they are just a LITTLE narrow at the toe and I can feel it at the end of the day. They aren’t custom built boots, but for the price and quality I really think these boots can’t be beat!
When I tried these on at the store, they felt great. I wore them to the office for two days before backpacking Yosemite. Felt awesome for the first day ... I was so glad to find these comfortable shoes/boots that required almost no breaking in. On Day 2, I started to notice a pain in the ball of my foot. Upon inspection, I realized there was a dime-sized depression/divot/hole in the sole of the right boot, under the foam insert. I took them back and it turns out that all Size 10.5 had this weird "hole". There was no hole in any of the left boots. Can't believe nobody else feels this in the ball of their foot, because even after two days of office wear, it hurt really bad.
I have owned these Merrells for a few years and overall while being very comfortable have not held up greatly . The inside heel area is worn through but that happens in all my shows (pronation) . The solution to fix this your self is Dr Schols mole skin and patch the hole.The area at the toe on the sides began separating from the sole so water could get in. The solution here is get some Shoo Goo in the shoe dept at Walmart and seal the gaps . This way you can still get years more life Out of you your boots
I used these as my only shoe on a 500 mile hike on the Camino Trail across Spain (10 - 18 miles per day). Along with the orange superfeet insert I had no pain, no blisters, no feet trouble the entire 5 weeks. As with any "waterproof" shoe, when it is lightly wet they are - when it is seriously all day raining hard wet, they are not. But I didn't expect them to be dry inside after walking for 9 hours in the rain thus the 5 star rating. I plan on walking the Camino again in the near future and these will be my shoe again.