Merrell Women's Moab 2 Vent Hiking Shoe

First time Merrell shoe owner. I've been using regular tennis shoes for hiking and though they are ok, my feet are feeling it this year. I normally use an old pair of Skechers D Lites to walk, hike and they hold up fairly well, but they're not made for hiking.First time trying this pair on I definitely feel and see the difference (photo). These run a big larger than a normal 8 wide, and it feels wonderful on my feet. Feet change all day, they swell, can become more sensitive so extra room is awesome! Even though there is extra room they still fit like an 8 wide. Room for extra thick socks too.Traction/ treads have very good grip. I climb fairly steep hills that are dirt tracks with very little area for my foot to grip on. I cant WAIT to try these out on the steep hills! Ive been avoiding climbing them for fear of slipping. One slip and I'll be taking a long slide down the rocky hill.Just trying them on my arches feel supported, but if its not enough, I'll add inserts. Great arch support so far. Soft material, laces adjust easily. Tongue loop for laces- yea! Wont be sliding around. I can feel my ankles are being supported, even though they are not boots. I need ankle support and a tough shoe to take the impact of rugged ground I'm walking on which is why I was using sketchers previously.I cross creeks in several places so waterproof is a necessity. Plus these soles will grip slippery rocks better than my tennis shoes. My old skechers held up with a few oops into creek water but they shrank all over. These Merrell hikinh shoes mean no concerns hiking on damp vegetation and crossing creeks on slippery, wet rocks.Very cool style, they dont scream hiking shoes. They feel like tennis shoes on. They're truly more comfy than my skechers.I've finally learned there is a reason for hiking shoes and will no longer make -do with tennis shoes.EXCELLENT hiking shoes. Highly recommend!

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I've worn Merrell hiking shoes for years. The fit is perfect for me. They are sturdy, have great support, and will hold my orthotics easily. I'm not so concerned about color because after a few months in the rural southwest, just about everything looks dusty!

Wore these on a hiking holiday and they were very comfortable even though I didn’t wear them it at all. Good grip for hiking. They’re not supposed to be waterproof but they were totally find in a bit of snow. They run a little small so you might want to order 2 sizes. Very happy with these - would recommend :)

I like the way the outer heel extends up the center back, to prevent heel becoming detached.I don't like the fact that the laces are all but unadjustable, and there is very little finger room to grasp them and pull to tighten.Tightening the laces isn't easy, & loosening them is equally difficult. The struggle to move a lace 1/2" along actually hurts my fingertips. As such, taking these shoes off and on is inconvenient. It's much more difficult than it should be. The laces must be tightened and loosened one hole at a time, and this is impossible to do towards the toe.The stiff shoe body should provide excellent support, and would, except that tightening laces is such a difficult and time consuming problem, that I tend to leave them as they are, which allows my foot to slide further into that "roomy" toe box and creates a 2-finger gap at the heel. Even going down hill shouldn't allow this shift.FIT IS NOT LIKE MY REGULAR SIZE!At home, I spend most of my time barefoot or in my stocking feet. Over a lifetime, my toes have fanned out and I hate the feeling of pinched or confined toes I get from many shoe styles I have tried. , including my last pair of Merrill hiking shoes. This excessive room at the toe of the Moab 2 is a surprising feature, one I wish I had investigated further before I ordered these. I read "roomy toe box" & thought "that's me!"Over all, my feet are a medium width, though I have sometimes purchased a wide if the toe box of a shoe I like seems confining.After my experience with Merrel hiking shoes in a size 10 1/2, I expected a much better fit in these size 11, as well as more support and comfort built into these shoes.The lack of padding on the deck of the shoe is reallydisappointing. The purchase of an insert should provide more foot comfort, better arch support, and minimize back and forth movement in the shoe, which these shoes lack right out of the box.The last pair of Merrells I purchased were a size 10 1/2. They were too tight in the toe and a bit too short, giving me blisters on the tips of my toes just walking around the house. I expected these size 11 to be a good fit. They aren't.To tighten up the fit, I purchased "Performance insoles" rated to add maximum cushioning and medium arch support. I placed them under the rigid plastic Merrell removable insoles. Although the ( Sof Sole Insoles Women's AIRR Orthotic Support Full-Length Gel Shoe Inserts) provide additional arch support and some cushioning, I only see gel in the heel, and my heel still still isn't secure, in the shoe, though it is not 2 fingers forward anymore. It still moves up and down in the shoe, and with the added insoles there is less ankle support as the additional arch is raising the foot. .I do hope that the shoes tighten up around the foot once they're broken in. The added insoles are easy to remove.The vibram outer soles seem like they will be very good for the terrain I visit, and may be the best feature of this shoe.Lastly, the color doesn't really look like it does in the listing photo. The leather is much lighter, sort of an antique white suede. Not the grreyish color of aluminum I expected. The accent color is green, not blue as it appears in the listing. That doesn't concern me at all, but I thought it worth mentioning.These are really well made, and could be outstanding shoes on someone's feet, but unfortunately, not on mine. If I hadn't been wearing them around the house to break them in, I'd send them back. Out of the box, they fit like my Mom's size 12 W she bought when her feet were swollen.And my normal shoe size is 11. These Moab2 are at least 1/2 size larger than that, and IMO, they are more like a 12.

I love these shoes! I usually wear Keens, but after foot surgery I was looking for a more comfortable hiking boot. After reading the reviews they all mentioned the comfort of this shoe. They did not disappoint. All the support you need for hiking and plenty of comfort!

Great fit, looks nice, good traction. I’m happy with this purchase and would definitely recommend to others for their hiking needs or casual strolls.

Just received these hiking shoes, tried them on and they feel great! Very impressed with the quality and fit. True to size and has great arch support. I highly recommend this shoe for hiking or working or casual wear. The exterior shoe design and color choices are flattering also. Overall very happy with purchase.