Merrell Boots - For the Road More Traveled
Written: Jun 24 '04 (Updated Jul 06 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great durability, very comfortable
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: Merrell boots are great hiking boots that offer comfort, quality, durability and innovation for a good price.
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| martytdx's Full Review: Merrell Chameleon Ventilator |
At one time of my life, I practically lived in hiking boots. Not your average Nike sneaker boots, but real hiking boots. I lived in Boulder, CO and walked or biked almost everywhere I went. I also spent 25-30 days hiking in the mountains a year, not including walks through the foothills. I wore boots more than sneakers, sandals and real shoes combined. And they were always Merrells.
Since 1993, I have owned four pairs of Merrell boots, and that includes some rough use. The boots took me through a year of working at a recycling plant (walking through glass pits, dislodging huge bales of metal cans from the smasher and general nastiness that inhabits a yard of recycled materials), through dozens of hiking/camping trips in the mountains, through clearing an acre of forest to build a mountain house and through 4 years of bartending (there are some who would argue that is the greatest test of all). I used up the first 3 pairs over time, but I've had my latest pair for almost a year now and they are doing just fine.
[ • about MERRELL • ]
Merrell was started in 1981 in Vernal, Utah by Randy Merrell, a custom cowboy boot maker. Although his custom hiking boots were extremely expensive to make, he develops quite a following from the beginning, earning praise from Backpacker Magazine for their comfort and function. With former Rossignol executives Clark Matis and John Schweizer, Merrell Hiking Boots are born. The first testing is done in Vermont's Green Mountains, and in 1983, the boots hit the stores for the first time, offering men and women's boots.
In 1983, Merrell becomes the first boot to use Gore-Tex™ to maintain water-resistance. In the future years, Merrell starting introducing other products, including telemarking boots and back-country running shoes, a hybrid of running shoe and hiking boot. By 1989, Merrell was adopting new technologies into their boots, such as the Air Cushion Midsole, and creating boots for all four seasons. They have also expanded into both Canada and the U.K.
In 1992, Merrell offered a sandal to compete with the popular Birkenstocks and Tevas, and also began selling boots in Japan. 1995 brought the first collaboration with Vibram, while a power outage in 1998 resulted in a leather mocassin.
[ • past EXPERIENCES • ]
As I said, I've been hard on my boots. My first two pairs were the same model, but for the life of me, I can't remember the name. They were green, water-resistant canvas and brown weather, and after a little water-proofing, served me through thick-and-thin. They handled the hikes, recycling lines and bar crud with equal aplomb, keeping my feet warm and dry through all sorts of conditions. The first pair finally succumbed to a piece of sharp metal that sliced through them (but not my foot); the second finally rotted from too many days out in the muck and abuse from me.
When I went to get pair number #3, I had to move to a new variety, who's name escapes me again. They were a medium brown with orange and black-striped laces. Again, they went to the tops of mountains, the bottoms of streams, through mud and thunderstorms and even a gasoline spill. But they held up remarkably well - longer than either of the first two pairs, although they were less-used than their predecessors. This pair finally gave up the ghost one winter after being frozen on the side stoop. The leather never recovered and slowly started to pull away from the canvas, and I gave them a proper burial.
All in all, those boots had given me lots of good years, handling everything that I and nature could dole out on them. The stitching was great, the soles kept their tread for extended periods and the construction was solid. Sure, the canvas got worn through in a couple of places sometimes, but after 2-3 years, that's to be expected to a degree. No other boot that I had before them put up with the abuse that I doled out and still came away as nice.
[ • the CHOICE • ]
For my latest pair, my wife and I were heading up to Vermont for a long weekend, and stopped into Campmor in Paramus, NJ. For those of you who don't know the store, Campmor is a haven for camping gear of all types, usually heavily discounted from catalogs and other retailers. I looked around at my choices, but kept coming back to Merrell, despite my wife's suggestions that I try something else. I was particular - I don't like full-leather boots because I do too much in the summer, and my feet would be dying in them. I like 3/4 boots - just up to the ankle but not towering above it. And I wanted a good, sticky tread for clambering over rocks on the trails. Ecco had a couple of nice pairs, and my wife was looking at the Timberlands. We both ignored the Nike AGC's. I kept coming back to the Merrell Chameleon Ventilator, which she deemed 'ugly'. What did she know?
I tried on a pair of the Ecco, then Timberland, and neither felt really good. I asked for the Merrell and once they were on, I knew that I had a winner. I walked back and forth, used the small stone simulator they had to see how they felt walking up a hill - it was all just as I remembered it. I was sold on the spot.
[ • the CHAMELEON • ]
The Merrell Chameleon Ventilator comes with lightish gray leather and a darker canvas netting. The combination gives the boots great breathability, at the expense of some water resistance. I keep preparing to add the water-proofing to the boot but haven't found a need yet - but I've been lucky with weather so far in my much more limited travels (strange how marriage does that). The uppers come to just even with my ankle - enough support for moving across uneven terrain without being too restrictive to my movement.
The mesh pieces throughout the boot keep my feet cool during summer hikes, yet keep them warm in the winter months. As I mentioned, although I haven't waterproofed these boots, they have proved remarkably water-resistant - great news, although I don't do nearly as much dancing in the streams as I used to. The construction of the rest of the shoe - from the comfortable insoles to the tough toe pad that prevents scuffing and ruining the toe of the boot - have been great, as I've come to expect from Merrell.
The Vibram soles are just what I remember from my past pair - good and sticky to rough surfaces, allowing the walker/hiker to get a good grip on the rocks, dirt or other surface. I walked up the test sample with ease, and I have been able to move through tricky trails with ease where my wife's Timberland's have made for tricky going. Better yet, Vibram soles can be replaced when they wear out, so I don't have to trash a pair of boots when/if the soles get used up.
» specifications
suede leather upper
breathable defense mesh panels
breathable padded bellows tongue
breathable airflow mesh lining
injection molded wishbone external counter
asymmetrical bronze double lace hooks
Omni-Fit/webbing loop lacing system
4.5mm anatomical footbed
4mm tapered nylon grade 4 insole
compression molder EVA footframe
air cushion midsole
vibram octogrip sole/trek rubber
[ • final THOUGHTS • ]
I'm a fan of Merrell boots for life - every pair that I've owned has outperformed my expectations - and the boots of those around me. As for my pair of Chameleon Ventilator's , they've been a joy to own and hike in. As a result, I've been as happy with this pair of boots as I have with any of the others I've owned. This pair has had it pretty easy so far, so I expect that it will be quite a few more years before I have to buy pair #5.
[ • more INFORMATION • ]
Merrell Boots
www.merrell.com
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 79.99
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Epinions.com ID:
martytdx
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Member: Marty
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 481
Trusted by: 179 members
About Me:
Doing what I can to try new places, restaurants, books and beers.
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