Merrell MOAB Boot - Review

[The Stig]

About a year ago I took a carbine class and wore my $30 Wall-Mart Brahma work boots. I've worn these frequently to both work in the yard and to several 3 day shooting classes and while not the most comfortable boot in the world they "seemed fine". I also liked the steel toe. I couldn't bring myself to spend big bucks on flippin shoes and silently judged all the guys at class wearing their super Ninja high-speed operator footwear.

Once again I had to learn the lesson that "just as good as" usually never is.

That class it rained one day and the grass had a heavy dew every day. My boots would be soaking wet just by walking from the car to the firing line to haul gear. It was miserable. In addition to being uncomfortable, my feat got horrible blisters from them moving around so much inside the boot. By the end of the first day I could barely walk.

When I got home from the class I immediately ordered the Merrell MOAB shown here:



I liked them so much I immediately bought another pair (gray).

After wearing them 80% of the time for nearly a year here are my thoughts....

1) They are awesome. Have worn them to work in the yard, through two shooting classes (one 3 days, on 1 day) and in some torrential downpours. My feet have stayed bone dry, comfortable and never once gotten tired. They feel like they are in a warm cocoon. I know that sounds gay, but it's an accurate description.

2) Much easier to maneuver than the old clunky work boots. I've noticed things like climbing stairs or negotiating tight spots is much easier. In the work boots I'd trip, catch my feet, and sometimes really get hung up. Embarrassing in the yard, very dangerous with a firearm in your hand. The MOAB's are almost tennis shoe like.

3) They stay dry.

4) They look good enough for day to day use. Any more I find myself reaching for these over my tennis shoes.

There are negatives. The laces in the brown pair frayed and had to be replaced. Thought that was odd. No signs of this happening in the gray pair. Also, the tread is so aggressive, I'm constantly picking small pebbles out of them, but that's more of an annoyance than anything.

So overall, I'd recommend the Merrel MOAB boot. More importantly, whether its this boot or another, the important take-away is to take good care of your feet. When they get jacked up it really sucks.

Here's are pictures of the actual boot after regular use:



Note the black laces. Overall for such heavy usage they don't look too bad. The grey pair look even better.



Aside from the red dirt embedded in the sole, check out how good the tread looks after a year.



Not sure where that scuff came from. The matching portion of the other boot doesn't have it so I must have caught it on something.

[izzyscout21]

Nice review, Stig.

I have the same pair of boots. Going on 2 years of everyday wear now, and mine look as sharp as ever. These are awesome boots for the money.

[IDTANDY]

Great review.As The Stig said.

the important take-away is to take good care of your feet. When they get jacked up it really sucks.

Nothing worse than Paddy foot,old school medics called it trench foot,immersion foot is the modern term.

[bacpacker]

Excellent review Stig. I've never had the Merrill brand myself (Most all my boots are Vasque), but I know several who do have them and have never heard anything bad about them.

Nothing sucks worse than having a shitty pair of boots that trash your feet out when you really need them most. Been there, done that.

[IDTANDY]

Bought the tee shirt and I was the medic.I learned a lesson about foot checks.

[izzyscout21]

proper footwear is a must. Aside from the fact that you wear them every day, come SHTF your feet may be your only mode of transportation. Keep em clean and dry. They will carry you a long way, but only with the proper footwear and treatment.

[Sniper-T]

I have a pair of these:

Merrell Axis 2 Hiking Shoes Mens - SportChek.ca

about a year old, and even with a life of bushwacking, and field walking, they show no appreciablle signs of wear. Good Solid piece of kit.

I need to replace my hightop hikers this year, and will probably go with what STIG recommended.

Thanks for the reminder about how good they are buddy!

T

[Evolver]

About a year ago I took a carbine class and wore my $30 Wall-Mart Brahma work boots. I've worn these frequently to both work in the yard and to several 3 day shooting classes and while not the most comfortable boot in the world they "seemed fine". I also liked the steel toe. I couldn't bring myself to spend big bucks on flippin shoes and silently judged all the guys at class wearing their super Ninja high-speed operator footwear.

Once again I had to learn the lesson that "just as good as" usually never is.

That class it rained one day and the grass had a heavy dew every day. My boots would be soaking wet just by walking from the car to the firing line to haul gear. It was miserable. In addition to being uncomfortable, my feat got horrible blisters from them moving around so much inside the boot. By the end of the first day I could barely walk.

When I got home from the class I immediately ordered the Merrell MOAB shown here:



I liked them so much I immediately bought another pair (gray).

After wearing them 80% of the time for nearly a year here are my thoughts....

1) They are awesome. Have worn them to work in the yard, through two shooting classes (one 3 days, on 1 day) and in some torrential downpours. My feet have stayed bone dry, comfortable and never once gotten tired. They feel like they are in a warm cocoon. I know that sounds gay, but it's an accurate description.

2) Much easier to maneuver than the old clunky work boots. I've noticed things like climbing stairs or negotiating tight spots is much easier. In the work boots I'd trip, catch my feet, and sometimes really get hung up. Embarrassing in the yard, very dangerous with a firearm in your hand. The MOAB's are almost tennis shoe like.

3) They stay dry.

4) They look good enough for day to day use. Any more I find myself reaching for these over my tennis shoes.

There are negatives. The laces in the brown pair frayed and had to be replaced. Thought that was odd. No signs of this happening in the gray pair. Also, the tread is so aggressive, I'm constantly picking small pebbles out of them, but that's more of an annoyance than anything.

So overall, I'd recommend the Merrel MOAB boot. More importantly, whether its this boot or another, the important take-away is to take good care of your feet. When they get jacked up it really sucks.

Here's are pictures of the actual boot after regular use:



Note the black laces. Overall for such heavy usage they don't look too bad. The grey pair look even better.



Aside from the red dirt embedded in the sole, check out how good the tread looks after a year.



Not sure where that scuff came from. The matching portion of the other boot doesn't have it so I must have caught it on something.

Nice review and I too I am a fan of anything Merrell, there a foot tool that you just can't go wrong with.

Excellent review Stig. I've never had the Merrill brand myself (Most all my boots are Vasquez), but I know several who do have them and have never heard anything bad about them.

Nothing sucks worse than having a shitty pair of boots that trash your feet out when you really need them most. Been there, done that.

Vasque summit?


This one "is" the shit for load carrying that has lasted and will last me a life time.

[bacpacker]

I have been backpacking for nearly 40 years and for many of those years I just wore what ever boot I had at the time. In the late 1980's I started doing some longer distance trips and 1st time out realized how bad my boot really hurt my feet. during that trip I got to talking with some folks I ran into and a couple of them had these boots and raved on how much better they were than what they had been using.

Vasque - Shoes

I got a pair when I got back home. I still have them today almost 30 years later they don't look much worse for wear, other than a little dirt and scuffs. However they are heavier than what I wanted to wear for day hikes and light over nights. After having so much sucsess with Vasque products ( the wife has a pair of sundowners as well, hers are nearly as old as mine) I started looking for some of their newer designs and found these.

Vasque - Shoes

I have been using these for the past 4 years almost exclusively. To this point I have zero complaints. These boots hav well over 200 miles on them and are showing no real signs of wear. They are much lighter than the Sundowners and are every bit as comfortable. Both boots have proven totally water proof over the years. The only time my feet have ever gotten wet was while I was fishing a river one day and went out where the water came over the top. I can't bitch about the boots when I'm acting stupid.

[Sniper-T]

when hunting, I fully expect wet feet! and I am ok with that! If Im tailing, or tracking an animal that crosses a stream, so do I. up to my shins, thighs, waist, chest, or swim. This is why waterproofing bags/gear is so important to me.

I have had problems with leather boots before though, although I have never tried Vasque's. once saturated, they take FOREVER to dry, and if they are not on your feet, they dry in whatever shape they're kicked off in. also, the leather gets soft, and tears easily on sticks, branches, barbed wire, etc...

B and E: Have you really punished these in and out of water, truly soaked?