Merrell Delivers Again for Wet Trail Use
Merrell has long been one of my favorite boot brands. When I started browsing for a pair of shoes or boots suited for warm-weather wade fishing, Merrell was one of the first places I checked, and they did not disappoint.-Fit & Wearability: I pair these with a sock liner and quality synthetic socks (check my other reviews), so I sized up half a size and got a perfect fit. On or off trail, wet or dry, these shoes are both comfortable and secure.-Traction & Water Performance: These double as trail shoes and water shoes, and Merrell nailed the traction. Whether on dry trails or slick creek stones, the grip holds up. The low-cut ankle offers great range of motion and keeps them lightweight, though you'll trade off some ankle support compared to full boots. They also drain efficiently and dry quickly while still offering the structure and durability of a proper trail shoe.-Style: They’re nearly identical in appearance to my Moab 2s (which I’ve used and loved for years). I bought these for function, not fashion, but they actually look pretty good too (opinion).Overall, I am very impressed with these hybrid water/trail shoes. If you plan on doing creek crossings, wade fishing, or just need breathable, fast drying footwear for hot weather hikes, these are a fantastic option. I wear these any time I wade or fish for hours at a time, and they have held up to the abuse without getting my feet chewed up or weighing me down, not sure I could ask for better.
✔ Verified Purchase
M
Marcus Gaskamp
October 16, 2019
Best multi-purpose shoes I've owned so far.
I love, love, LOVE these shoes. This will be my second pair in something like 10 years. The first pair took me for over a month in Tahiti and have been everywhere in between since about 2017.I got them originally because I wanted something hikable that would dry quickly as our trip in Tahiti found us on a boat for 2 weeks. I also wanted them to double as water shoes that would do a little more than sandals to keep rocks and gravel out. After that trip they've been out numerous times camping, fishing, and vacationing in other places and have performed very faithful service as an everyday shoe because of their comfort. I Love these shoes.They're definitely a very good mixture of just the right amount of lots of things for me. For my lifestyle they're like a sport utility shoe. Does lots of things well but nothing perfect. Regardless the trade offs are all more than tolerable and beat the pants off of most shoes I've purchased in the past to do one or two things.-First, they perform as a workable water shoe. They will stay a little wet but I haven't had many problems getting them to dry after about a day in the sun. Even when wet they don't stay soaking or sopping wet for long.-I would very easily trust them for hiking and backpacking for long periods of time. Although, I haven't done much of that with them yet I imagine some waterproof socks and wicking socks would complete the ensemble to make these very comfortable thru trip gear.-The comments about them letting in sand is true. Sand yes, rocks NO! I can tolerate a little sand in my shoes but stepping on gravel or sharp shells can screw up your whole day. They kept the big stuff out and that's what I really cared about.-They're very comfortable and light. Nothing overly supportive or gangly and tough to screw up your natural stride. Going on dayhikes are a dream.-Resilliant. These have been in the washer more than a few times. I must have worn them for thousands of walked miles now and they're holding up well. No delaminated rubber or anything unusual considering the amount of wear.The ONLY reason I'm buying another pair, in fact, is so that I have a reliable/fresher pair to take on longer hikes where I don't want to worry about a failure.In all seriousness, these have outlasted a few pairs of Catepillar steel toe workboots and a number of other pieces of footwear I use less frequently. They've been covered in cement, used to kick or push rocks, walked in for god knows how many steps, survived my disgusting foot smell, been washed and dried more than once and they're still in good shape and look decent enough to wear into town on weekends... Just amazing.
✔ Verified Purchase
M
Minidobro
October 02, 2025
Healing foot pain that other shoes couldn't!
I had written a review for these and inadvertently mentioned I had 'never written a review for Merrell shoes'. Turns out I did write a very favorable one for the Speed sneaker I bought a long time ago. The important thing about these tho- is that I needed a shoe for plantar fasciitis - and bought $200 shoes to help correct it. They didn't work at all. Once I got these however - my symptoms eased considerably. That said - that's not what these are for - but they are AWESOME. Like - perfect. Very natural fit, and very ground-sensing comfort. I love them and have already bought an additional pair. I'd do six stars if they had it.
✔ Verified Purchase
J
Jon the Mini Man
July 26, 2025
Must better than I expected. Very happy with them.
Long time Minimus guy here. Once again they stopped making them so I was looking for something close. Light, great traction, flexible, tactile, and tough. These do not disappoint. They're actually better on all metrics but weight but that's a very slight difference.I love that they're as flexible as they are without letting through the pokes and prods of tougher terrain, and the exterior materials seem like they'll hold up better.My only complaint is that the box is a little big for me. Big enough to make me think I could have gone down a half-size. I ordered the same size I wear in all my other Merrells and these seem a smidge big, but not enough to be a problem.All that remains to be seen is how they hold up to life on our mountain, but I love them so far.
✔ Verified Purchase
