Merrell Men's Moab Ventilator Hiking Shoe

I have very flat feet with moderate pronation and outward deviating great toes. Because of this I have problems with painful callouses on the great toes that rub up against any shoe. Merrell Moab Ventilator was my fourth purchase in the pursuit of a shoe that I could use for hiking on the rugged trails around Lake Mead near Las Vegas, Nevada. All of the others failed to give me any relief and even on short walks with my dogs, my great toe callous was sore and the balls of the feet hurt. A guy in a sporting goods store suggested that I try Merrell, and I said "why not," I have tried everything else. To compensate for my toe problem, I ordered a size 1/2 larger than usual and the widest offered. Much to my surprise and relief, the Merrell fit much better than the others. The key factor was the heal cushion that supported the heel strike and had a slight angulation that helped to compensate for the pronation issue and took the pressure off the great toe callous. I went back to my other shoes and each time my feet hurt after only a short walk, I tried the Merrell on 3 to 8 mile desert hikes and found that I ended the hike with "happy feet." Similar hikes in the other shoes that I had tried had left me with bruising and bleeding under the callous. Not so with the Merrell. The Merrell has Vibram soles and the mesh tops allow for real ventilation and cooling of the feet on hot desert hikes. The shoes allowed good traction when scrambling over rocks. The tongue padding was just right, not too thick to cause irritation and not too thin as to cause a band sensation across the top of the foot. The shoe sizes appear to be standard, but as noted above, I needed extra room and size to accommodate my foot abnormality. I have had the present shoes for four months and they are still performing. Once, in the dark I mistakenly put on a pair of the other shoes that I have and almost immediately I knew that I had chosen the wrong shoes. Quickly went back and got my Merrells.The only issue I do have with the shoe is that the Vibram sole is a bit thin for hiking in the rocky desert and I wished that the sole was a little thicker to protect the bottom of my feet. No problem, I inserted a pair of Dr. Scholl's Active Series inserts (that I had previously purchased to compensate for the faults of the other shoe brands; but did not help) and I have never looked back. Completed a 10 mile hike without problems.I have also tried Hi-tec and Keen, all good shoes, but they did not work for my particular problems. Those with normal feet will likely find these shoes meet their needs.This shoe meets my special needs. I am sure that people with "normal feet" will like this shoe as well. For regular walking on smooth surfaces, no inserts needed. I will be ordering two more pair of these shoes to have on hand in case the model is discontinued.

I am typically a high end shoe guy (you get what you pay for more often than not and if you take care of your feet, they will take care of you) preferring Lowa and other top brands. In this day and age, all the craze is waterproof and Gore-Tex lined footwear which is great except for the summer and hot weather locations. I know Gore-Tex is supposed to be "breathable" but my feet just cant take the heat inside those materials. They sweat profusely, much faster than the material can "breathe" away. All that moisture, with the added friction of hiking tears my feet up - some of the worst blisters have been from wearing great boots that were Gore-Tex lined in the heat.My answer has been to start wearing boots and shoes that are mesh and highly ventilated. Yes my feet get wet when I step in a puddle or cross water. But not any more so than sweating all day, and they dry much faster than in Gore-Tex boots. I think it is a good trade off.Hence the Moab Ventilator... These are not made for hiking heavy packs. There is zero ankle stability or the stiff foot bed you expect from a high end hiking boot. These are more like tennis shoes or athletic shoes. Disappointing from that point (but you get what you pay for remember). What was pleasantly surprising to me was just how comfortable these shoes are. They fit like a glove (size is true), and are made in a manner to avoid hotspots and will absolutely allow your feet to breathe. Exactly what I was looking for and at a very reasonable price.These are not shoes to throw 100 pounds of kit on your back and hike up anything with. They are probably not for long hikes with just water on your back. (Sorry but there is just not the support for your feet). They are perfectly suited for all day wear around camp, working, and perhaps even post hiking (they are so comfortable, I can imagine taking very sore feet after a full day of heavy hiking or hunting and putting them in these shoes).Perhaps I do not give these shoes enough credit for being durable and appropriate for hiking, I am sure that there are those out there that have and do use Merrell for extended hiking. And they can write their own review. That is to say that from my perspective, (someone who owns a lot of high end hiking boots and shoes) that these shoes are great. Very comfortable, and do provide that missing niche in today's waterproof boot craze, particularly if you don't expect too much out of them in an heavy weight or long distance hiking situation.I highly recommend these shoes in spite of my ranting against them, and have since purchased a second pair.Purchase a set, you wont be sorry even if all you use them for are camp shoes.

Comfortable and sturdy. Does a good job of venting. I experienced a hot spot on the ball of my left foot 3 hours into a hike, but it wasn't bad. NOT waterproof whatsoever, you will get wet if you step in mud/puddles deeper than the sole. Buy them for walking shoes and forest hikes, and stick with waterproof boots for wet trails. They are fine for use in moderate rain showers.

Shoes were a perfect fit and will be the buying these again. Love these shoes!

I bought these for my dad and he loves them. This will be his second pair. His first pair lasted for 3 years with extensive use. They are very comfortable shoes.

Let me start by saying that I have the world's ugliest feet. My girlfriend thinks that my non-existent in vitro twin took a hammer to my feet in the womb before he/she gave up the ghost. Whatever caused them to look as they are, I have come to live with them.They're wide, flat, and nobby.I bought these hikers after reading a number of reviews where the reviewers found them good for people with wide and/or flat feet. I followed the advice and bought shoes that we're a 1/2 size up from my standard size (11W). I've only worn the shoes a short time, but I think they are quite good for my feet. They're not perfect but they're close enough to get a thumbs up rating. The only reason I have held back giving 5 stars was simply that they feel slightly bumpy on my right foot. I need to take a look at the inner sole to understand what's going on. However, width wise they're perfect! Some may say that they're wide enough to act as pontoons on water, but I don't care. They work for me.

I have owned a pair of merrell shoes before but they did not fit me. This time I picked them up in the correct size (one size larger than my usual size in other shoes) and they fit great. I have a lot of difficulties with shoes as my feet are long and narrow. My feet often slide around in shoes and my toes bump against the front. Not with these. They are incredibly comfortable, supportive and light.In terms of aesthetics, I like them but am aware that they are not particularly fashionable. Personally, my comfort is much more important than looks.Please note, I am not a hiker, I just wear these shoes as casual everyday walking shoes (I walk a fair bit daily). If you are planning on using these for hiking it would be worth reading additional reviews (although they all seem positive to me). Lastly, the price was great. I got these for about £47 which is great. What originally put me off Merrells was the massive price tag in local hiking shops (somewhere around double what I paid).Overall I strongly reccomend these shoes for a light, rugged, durable walking shoe.