Merrel Moab Ventilators

they drain fast and dry fast (less than 2 hours) in my experience. the ones with gortex take considerably longer to dry out when they wet out.

I hike in them. They are probably the most comfortable shoes I own. I've soaked them several times and they dry quickly and seem to be holding up well.

Not sure about their longevity as I have only a couple hundred miles on them so far. For the price, I'm very happy with them.

I have no experience with the gortex model.

I have a pair of the mids (non gortex)-good shoe, relatively light and nice that they offer a wide size too :)

I did a five day trip last month w. them where we did over 50 stream crossings in two days. The stream crossings happened at a quick enough pace that they your feet never had a chance to dry. The moabs did drain well though so it wasn't as "squishy" as some shoes would be and at left hanging at night they would be totally dry by morning.

I think they are a very good choice for warmer climes and/or where you'll see a lot of wet feet.

Mine seem to be holding up rather well, another plus :)

I did not get the goretex ones.

Thanks for the information guys, that is pretty much what I was hoping to hear. They look like they are very well built for their weight.

If anyone has any other comments about these shoes, feel free.

From my limited experience with them, The wides are wide enough for my wide feet and they get better traction on wet rocks than other Merrels I've tried.
I haven't put enough miles on them to say how long they will last, but they are some of the most comfortable shoes for me.

I know this varies by individual, but I found the insoles on the Moab's to be a little lacking- I ended up putting some superfeet greens in mine and am much happier- of course ymmv :)

just to add to my previous report, got back from a trip where my boots were wet 80%+ of the time between post holing in snow, fording streams and the trails themselves acting like they were streams from the runoff

I'm pretty happy w/ them thus far :)

I agree about the insoles being inadequate for many. I use Superfeet as well.
I'll bet most prefer them without the Superfeet or may prefer another insole.
And of course, just because they fit me very well with the superfeet, they could be the most uncomfortable shoe in the world for you.

Just bought a pair of Moab Ventilators this week for $79. at a shoe outlet in Indania when I was visiting.

Since I already have the Moab Mid GTX boots I knew these were the ticket for walking in water on trips in Utah's canyons like Pariah and Coyote Gultch, where you're in water 80% of the time. The Ventilators will keep out sand and gravel but drain well too. One of our group in the Coyote Gulch trip had them and they were perfect.

Some pure mesh kayaking/rafting shoes let in too much sand. (Which is difficult to get out without removing the shoe.)

When I was in the market for a new pair of boots the guy at my local EMS told me to flat out stay clear of this boot.
He saw at least 3-4 people a week coming in for returns, or repairs.

Re: "the guy at my local EMS told me to flat out stay clear of this boot"

I heard a guy at Campmor telling someone to avoid this shoe as well. I think this salesperson was try to sell high top $300+ heavy leather boots.

When I wanted to to try the ventilators, another salesman told me that he highly recommended I get the Gortex version instead.

All the more reason to take the advice of sales people with a grain of salt.

I wonder if it was the goretex boot that folks were having troubles w/? some folks have a ridiculous expectation that if they wear gortex boots their feet will never get wet (they will get wet and then stay wet :))

most of the reviews on the Merrell site are pretty positive, the few that had bad experience were told by Merrell to send them in for a replacement- they were going to stand behind their boots

boots/shoes are probably the most individualistic item a hiker is going to purchase- there is certainly no one boot/shoe that is going to work for everyone (or even most of the people)

mine are closing in on 150 miles of what I would consider to be pretty hard use (lots and lots of walking in a soaked boot) and thus far they look pretty unfazed by the use- time (and miles) will tell

I don't expect lightweight hiking shoes to last forever though

I have no doubts that the Moab Ventilators won't last anywhere near as long as the heavier leather boats. That's the price we pay for having light shoes.

They are also much less expensive than the leather mountaineering boots. You may go through 3 pair of Moab's in the time it takes to wear out the heavy leather boots.
You will probably end up paying about the same or a little more money, but I'll go for the lighter option any day.

I read lots of bad reviews and complaints about light shoes not lasting more than 300-500 miles. I would rather wear out my shoes in 300 miles than my knees from wearing heavy shoes or any heavy gear for that matter.

I am on my second pair hiked the JMT with them and many mikes on the AT. Will use them again in Yosemite. (Non-gortex model)

The size 10 1/2 fit well for wearing around town, but I need the 11 for hiking.

They have been soaked plenty of times,nothing unusual to report. They wore out along the rubber toe on the side. They also lose their lateral stiffness. The sole never wore out.

This is a lightweight boot/shoe, and it has low torsional rigidity.

I found that it didn't do well on hiking rough trail which tends to twist the forefoot.

For a well maintained fairly leveled trail, these could perform quite well.

Re: "it has low torsional rigidity"

I'm not an expert, but there are lots of debates on this subject.
Although I understand the reasoning as to why torsional rigidity is good but, there are lots of arguments against it as well.

Rigidity in any form is not good in many ways.
If I fully believed that, I would go with a low top flexible trail runner or even go barefoot.

I do believe that with proper conditioning, rigidity in any form is a handicap for many people.

Many of us urban types need rigidity because of our own personal limitations. Run barefoot over rough terrain for long periods and that will get your in shape. Rigidity in any form will no longer be needed as your feet will provide.

Many people who live without shoes most of their lives, or only with very thin flexible shoes, have no need for rigidity.

I personally need some rigidity but, maybe some day:-)

I'd have to disagree w/ James' assessment, the only trails I've had them have been very rough and very poorly maintained (but the people are few and the views have been heavenly :))

they have also been off trail in some very rugged terrain, mind you they aren't mountaineering boots, but they are fine IMO for anything short of that

of course the proverbial ymmv :)

…

just out of curiosity what is everyone wearing- the low or the mid?

I went w/ the mid as I was transitioning out of a traditional hiking boot, I'm thinking maybe the lows when these wear out

thanks

Would a preemptive coating of Shoe Goo help slow the wear spot on the toe?

Hey Joe,

Something tells me you were a skateboarder at one time:-)

I used to use multiple layers of the stuff.

I'm sure shoe goo would help, but it would add weight.
I'd wait until you get some wear first and then build it up as the toe wears down.

I would prefer to spend a year in some comfortable shoes then 2 years with uncomfortable shoes. As long as the Moabs don't fall apart during a long trip, then a shorter shoe life is a small price to pay and preferable to several years of "barking dogs".

Cheers