Merrell Footwear - Worth It?

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untamed

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Jan 7, 2003
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Guys, the Merrell line have always made me drool but I've always held-off buying one since they are a bit on the pricey-side here in my country. I always find myself buying less expensive brands for the times I could afford to hit the outdoors. They do look well-made though.

I'd like to know from those that have them, how have they been holding up "in the trail"?

TIA! :)
 
I had a pair of merrel "eagles" that I wore daily for 3 years before I finally wore the soles down to nothing. To put it into perspective my 5.11 HRT's and Terra Wildsiders only lasted 1 year. I also have a pair of their sandals and they are still going strong after a summer.

Try them on first, Merrels tend to be a little on the narrow side compared to other brands, but if they fit comfortably they will last you a long time if you take care of them.
 
I've had a pair of Merrell Stretch Chameleons that have survived daily use since 05 to include several trips to hot, bad places....they are worth every penny
 
I bought a pair of Merrell Hikers about a year ago, and they are still going strong. They've been through some serious use, almost on a daily basis.

The following might seem like common sense, but it bears repeating for good reason. It is a good idea to properly fit them before buying. A proper fitting involves the use of the correct sock while trying them on, (not a cotton sports sock or dress sock) also the incline and decline tests for slippage is a must. Merrells will require a little bit longer "breaking in" period too, so start off on short walks before you tackle your longer walks. :)

Good Luck!
 
Merrells give me everything I need in a shoe. Great traction, a secure fit and the perfect blend of flexibility and support. I wish the soles were a tad moredurable but that would compromise some of the traction that a soft rubber provides.
 
being a shoe person, i have merrill's and keen shoes, both of them stand up exceptionally well under diverse conditions and both are really easy to clean, use a wrung out washcloth and a little windex for the tough spots and you are good to go.

the fit thing is a must with anyshoe, if you want to try a pair at a fraction of the cost, hit ebay and try an almost new, slight used pair and you can tell, right away. you can get a new pair for half the cost easy on there, they are full of them about all the time.
you can even run your size and the make you want and it will pull them right up, go to a store and try a pair on first of course. that is the way i do it, sound cheap but hey that works for me...
 
I had some Merrill stretch chameleons that were some really great hiking shoes. The waterproof liners seemed to last way longer than normal. The rubber toe cap was a little loose after the first season but I hike a lot of rocky ground. I think I got 2 hiking seasons out of them which is pretty good for me.:D

I had some Merrill MOAB XCR hiking boots and they fit like a glove but the waterproofing did not seem to work. I actually burned the soles up on the first night of the first trip I took them on trying to get them dry. They were like a damn sponge:mad:

So my experience has been a combination of really good and not so good.
 
To start off let me say i got very bad flat feet. I Got the Merrill Moab boots. I just fell in love with them the cushioning was awsome. My feet thanked me every time i hiked. On the first backpacking trip with the shoes about 4 months old on the way back the front of the boot started to tear off Just like HollowDweller did. Took them to REI and they gave me a new pair... With the new shoes i keeped hiking with no tears. BUT after a few months of hiking, I noticed that the nice cushioning that i love is basicly gone. Now its just flat and i can feel every rock and bumb on the trail.. My feet are not happy. I use an insert now to absorb the shocks which does help. Thats my main beef with the Merrill. Maybe you are not supposed to hike so much. Another one which is minor, On wet rocks you might as well walk on ice. They have no grip and i fell a few time. Here i might be spoiled as before them i used to wear old israely commando\scot boots that had a soft sole that would not slipp walking on oil. Heck i could walk on anything and it wont slip. But the sole lasted about 6 month or so, Very soft. Would i get Merrill again ??? Im not sure, as the main selling point for me was the awsome cushion when they were new.

Sasha
 
I'm going to be another voice of dissent on this one. Merrill are great shoes I think for the most part for most people. They felt very comfortable at first, however, after about 6 months, the support bed broke down too much and they hurt my feet. I could be because I am a heavy guy, also have flat feet, and I am pretty hard on my shoes. But, I've only tried their shoes, not their boots. The only way to find out is to try a pair.

I switched to Teva after that (about 2 years ago) and have found what I require as far as a shoe brand.
 
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Merrills kick ass. I have 3 pairs. I have water shoes, Hikers, and a pair of leather casual shoes. The hikers and water shoes are going on their 3rd seasons, and look very good and are in great shape. The casual shoes I just got are the most comfy shoes Ive ever worn. Check out Sierra Trading Post, they have great prices on em..
 
I got my Moab Vent. this last Christmas, I've been wearing them on off since & they seem to be good shoes. Like the others have said they fit slim so be sure to try a pair on first. Very comfortable & great support. Yes I will be purchasing another pair :thumbup:
 
I would say they are highly variable. Some models are great, others just all flash. I have one pair that had the worst insoles ever-- they were paper thin and bunched up under my feet on a three mile walk on dead flat ground. My feet were sore for a couple days after. If you are living where they are much more expensive than other brands, don't bother.

Each manufacturer has a different last to build the shoe on and optimized to their take on the idea human foot. Of course there is no such thing. Find a brand that fits your foot. Look for good attachment between the sole and the body of the shoe. Pick a shoe suited for the climate you walk in-- made for mud, or high temps, quick dry, snow & cold, etc.

BTW, one of the hiking sites did some extensive testing on Gore Tex and other waterproof shoes. They found that once they were wet, they took forever to dry. If hiking in and out of streams in warm weather, it is far better to get a well ventilated shoe. My take is that Gore Tex boots are great for Winter use and low top ventilated hikers or even trail runners are better for Summer use.
 
I would say they are highly variable. Some models are great, others just all flash. I have one pair that had the worst insoles ever-- they were paper thin and bunched up under my feet on a three mile walk on dead flat ground. My feet were sore for a couple days after. If you are living where they are much more expensive than other brands, don't bother.

Each manufacturer has a different last to build the shoe on and optimized to their take on the idea human foot. Of course there is no such thing. Find a brand that fits your foot. Look for good attachment between the sole and the body of the shoe. Pick a shoe suited for the climate you walk in-- made for mud, or high temps, quick dry, snow & cold, etc.

BTW, one of the hiking sites did some extensive testing on Gore Tex and other waterproof shoes. They found that once they were wet, they took forever to dry. If hiking in and out of streams in warm weather, it is far better to get a well ventilated shoe. My take is that Gore Tex boots are great for Winter use and low top ventilated hikers or even trail runners are better for Summer use.
 
untamed said:
Guys, the Merrell line have always made me drool but I've always held-off buying one since they are a bit on the pricey-side here in my country. I always find myself buying less expensive brands for the times I could afford to hit the outdoors. They do look well-made though.

I'd like to know from those that have them, how have they been holding up "in the trail"?

TIA! :)
Click to expand...

While not the brand you are talking about, I have a set of Lowa's that have been tortured unmercifully. The key to any of these boots is in the construction. Do they have a 3/4 length steel shank? What sole do they have? How thick is the leather and has it been treated properly?

$340 later, it has been money well spent. After multiple trips to Europe, almost daily wear for 3 years stateside, and a lot of hiking on rocky terrain they still are every bit as solid as the day I got them. The only thing to really wear or slightly damage these boots has been their use on my off road motorcycle (they are a lot easier to walk in then MX boots).
 
I love my Merrill's but they feel like th arches became flat over time. I've had them over 2 years and they have a lot of miles on them though.

I've got low tops and the support is superb. The tread pattern is great! I really don't too much tread wear on them, but I normally only wear them in the wilderness though.
 
I had some Chameleon hiking shoes and they were supportive once I added Superfeet insoles. They were stable even with 40 lb. loads on my back and they shrugged off bad weather pretty darn well.

The single problem I had with mine were that the heel area wore through relatively quickly. It may be a fit issue with me but they got worse and worse and the padding came making them really uncomfortable. It did a half arse patch job but it didn't hold up. Again, it may just be a fit problem with me, but other than the heel area, they were great.
 
I've got a pair of Sawtooth's that 've had for a couple of years. Well constructed but not my favorites. Very aggressive soles but my feet sweat like crazy in them.
 
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