Merrell Men's Chameleon 4 Stretch Waterproof Hiking Shoe

I have been buying and wearing Merrell shoes for years. I have become especially fond of the elastic cord and lock lacing system. It makes for a better fit, particularly for hikes and long treks on the trail.They are comfortable right out of the box and I wear them all the time. I need a shoe with good arch support and these truly fit the bill. I can highly recommend them to anyone who wants a high-quality, well fitting all around shoe.

Bought these to wear on vacation, didn't even get to break them in before I went. They fit a little snug at first, but they broke in and fit perfect. I walked close to 10 miles a day almost everyday for 11 days, I couldn't be more impressed. This was my first pair of Merrell's, and I had heard good things about them, but now I am sold on them. Easy to slip on and off at airport security, good support, excellent sole traction. I walked on pavement, cobblestone, through fields and mud, over rocks, up and down tons of steps and in the rain. I couldn't have asked for better shoes. I am extremely hard on shoes and clothes in general, and to be honest I didn't know if they would hold up. But they were great, I could see how they would get hot in summer weather but it was 60 most days and they were ideal. I will buy again next time for sure.

This Chameleon 4 Stretch men's waterproof hiking shoe in my opinion is far more comfortable than the Chameleon Prime Stretch waterproof shoe that apparently is replacing this model. I have a pair of both, and this Chameleon 4 model is far more comfortable and superior to the newer Chameleon Prime Stretch model. I am now trying to stock up on as many extra pairs of these models in my size - both the waterproof and non-waterproof versions as I can afford before they are discontinued! Only problem is why they list this as black slate - which would indicate either black or very dark gray - which is the color of slate which I know because I'm in the pool table business. This shoe is clearly dark brown - just as shown on the Amazon website, so why they call it black slate I can't understand. Regardless of color, the best shoes I have ever worn - I will never buy another pair of New Balance.

I gave this a one star so you would read this - not that it necessary deserves it.... but there are real issues here- No tongue on the shoe - what is with this?? It creates additional pressure on the ankle and it is not something that "breaks in" after 2 weeks of wearing before a mountain vacation and two weeks of hiking - they did not feel any better on the ankle. Only way to adjust for this was to wear them loose but that is not a good solution- M select FRESH prevents odor - NOT a Chance - made my feet that normally do just fine in the smell department thank you very much ... smell like a box of oysters left in the hot sun for 2 weeks UGGHHH!. my son kicked me and the shoes out of the tent.Not what i expected for a Merrell!!!

After my first pair of Merrell Chameleon II's I was hooked. Those were the best all around hiking shoe/ everyday shoe I've had. Period. After wearing them into the ground, I decided to try the "latest and greatest" from Merrell which at that time was the Chameleon stretch 4's.I held out prior to that point because of several negative reviews of the Chameleon 3's. The first pair of Chameleon 4's I ordered were in the "canteen" color and worked really well overall. They adjusted well to my feet and provided decent support. They seemed lighter than my II's, which at first glance would be a good thing- they however had a flimsier feel and did not handle rough terrain as well. Out of the box, you could tell they were well constructed but did not have the attention to detail and "overdesign" as my previous pair of Merrells had. After a few months of fairly hard wear, they toe cap began to pull away from the leather upper- something my previous pair never had an issue with, even after 2+ years of solid, almost daily wear. With all that said, these held up for 1.5 years until a motor oil container burst on top of them, completely soaking the shoe- rendering them useless. In search of a new pair, I decided to try a pair of Keen Targhee II's that were at clearance price. These were nice, but nowhere near as comfortable and honestly looked a little ridiculous under jeans/pants. After scouring the web, wishing Merrell never discontinued the Chameleon Stretch II's, I came across the waterproof version of the 4's. They immediately drew me in with the muted, easier to handle color combination over the standard chameleon stretch.After 6 months of mixed use out of the box, these have done nothing but impress. Better color, construction and materials used over the standard Chameleon 4's- and NO TOE SEPERATION to this point. I also love the waterproof aspect- whether trudging through wet grass or inches of snow for hours, there is little outer soaking and no water penetration at all. I can honestly say these are very close to my beloved Chameleon Stretch II's in fit, comfort and build quality.

The product page states that these shoes are "slate grey" but the picture displayed a brown shoe. I was surprised when these shoes arrived and they were the brown shoes photographed but yet the color listed for my size was "slate grey".Overall the shoes are great as Merrill's always are and are used for business, so the shoe of course meets my expectations. The color isn't a huge problem but I am unhappy with the way these shoes were sold to me buy the sellers misrepresentation of the item in the description. I hope everyone who purchases this item in the future is aware that they will receive brown shoes, instead of grey.