PROS:
- This a pair of well made boots; the materials are high quality
- They feel lightweight and give good foot and ankle support
- They’re waterproof and clean easily
- They’re pretty!
CONS:
- The boots have no removable insole
- The sole is not very shock absorbing, which gets tiring on long hikes
- It gets slippery on wet surfaces
I am a big fan of Merrell and when I got these new hiking boots (they ship extremely fast, I must add!), I was so pleased with my purchase once again!
There are many things I like about these boots and I was surprised to see other people’s opinions. I mean, I have average width feet, high arch and long toes and I still think these are the most comfortable boots I ever got!
Here’s my list of pros:
- the boots feel lightweight
- they have good cushioning and give nice motion support
- they remain dry even after walking through some puddles
- the boots are really well made
- there are high quality materials used for these boots
- I really like their looks, it’s not too nerdy
- these boots are for sure waterproof
- it’s very easy to clean up these babies
- I use them not only for my outdoor hobbies (day hiking, rock climbing), but also when I do errands around town and sometimes I wear them all day long
- the boots give me great arch support
- the flexibility of these boots is amazing
- I also hike in bad, cold weather conditions and the boots keep me warm and safe
- they never gave me any blisters
- the boots are true to size but I guess for those who want to put a pair of thick socks they should go up ½ size. I didn’t and I’m OK like this.
My list of cons then runs as follows:
- the boots have no removable insole. As a matter of fact, they have no insole at all!
- I never dare to use these boots on my extreme backpacking experiences as they don’t seem sturdy enough for that kind of terrain
- sometimes, my ankles hurt when wearing these boots
- the price is not that low…
- I had to give these boots a couple of days to break in. Not many days, but I think I couldn’t have done it without the break in
- the shock absorption is quite poor (and this is why I don’t use them on the heavy duty trails) and the boots end up giving me sore, tired feet
- the soles tend to get slippery on wet surfaces
- I think they are a little bit too wide
- the laces are short! I mean they are a good 10″ shorter than any regular shoe laces. I did change them with longer ones, but, for this price, you would expect not to buy other laces
- the tongue is not wide enough for this boot
- they don’t have a good grip on rough ground and I think it’s not safe to use them on rocky terrains
- wet surfaces are also a problem for these boots and I definitely get very cautious when it’s raining or I have to walk a wet hallway…
- I had to add inserts, in the end, to get greater comfort.
Don’t get me wrong, I still think these boots are very comfortable, perfect for all day around town, day hikes, with some minor issues to keep in mind. Still a great buy, any given day!
