Merrill Moab Boot Break in

[Longboysfan]

Got my section hike boots - first pair in 35 plus years.
And the other pair is still in good shape but my foot got a little larger than 11. So I got a size 12 now.
On my left heel I got a blister just hiking 5 miles in them. it also rubbed a bit of materiel off my darn tough socks. :(
On my let upper ankle I got what felt like a metal poke on it during the 5 mile hike. :(
:(
I relaced the right shoe three times during the hike in case it was the way the tongue set on my upper ankle.


Any thoughts???

[Venchka]

I would return them. Quickly. Try another model or another brand.
Something doesn't sound right.
I own two pairs of Moabs, low & mid no Gore-Tex Ventilators. No worries ever and I'm about ready to replace them. When I can find something I like without Gore-Tex. I sldo own 3 pairs of Merrill Radius shoes. They are much better than the Moabs. Naturally, they have been discontinued.
ps: Merrill Moabs aren't boots. I own 2 pairs of boots. The Moabs don't come close to my real boots.
Wayne

[soumodeler]

Do yourself a huge favor and go to a outfitter with a knowledgeable shoe fitter. They will quickly be able to get you into a pair of boots/trail runners/whatever that actually fit RIGHT instead of just fit. If all they do is measure the total length of your foot, leave and go elsewhere.

[eblanche]

Something is not right. Def go back to the retailer or go to Merrill. I know for a fact that one size 10 is not necessarily the same as another size 10 Moabs. Go back and try another pair. While you are at it, replace that pair of Darn Tough socks.

Those shoes are good shoes when they fit. The design has been around for years nearly unchanged and works...but something is not right if they are destroying your foot/ankle/darn tough socks.

[Puddlefish]

I'm wondering if you got the right size, or if you just don't have the right foot shape for the boot. I have the mid and low versions of the Moab and have had zero blister/rubbing/wearing concerns at the heels or ankles. I'll occasionally get a blister at my toes when they're wet, but that's because my toes are goofy and I neglected to pre-treat them with some sort of friction tape/cream/stuff.

[Grandscale]

I have a pair of lowtop Moabs. They rub the inside of my left heal. I thought it was just a weird defect but I've tried on other pairs of lowtop Moabs and they do the same thing (only on my left heal). I hate these shoes. The funny thing is, the mids fit perfect and other Merrils have been ok too. Not sure what it is. Maybe it's me. I use the Salomon X Ultra Mid GTX. I absolutely love these boots. No blisters, fit like a dream, no break in, super comfortable. The only bad thing about them is they are made out of light weight materials so they don't last very long.

[colorado_rob]

I've been wearing Merrell shoes/boots for maybe 15 years now, and basically the brand just seems to be made for my foot. BUT, for some reason, the Moab model does not work for me. I've had a slew of other models, the Chameleons, Phasers, Radius, a couple others I cannot remember, but I've tried Moabs twice now, and they were a no-go. Just another data point.

[Venchka]

Footwear is crazy. It gets worse every year with new models and discontinued favorites.
My wife got me into Merrells after swearing by them since forever.
My first pair was a Chameleon of some vintage. Nice and sturdy low cut. The sturdy part was a too sturdy. The hit my ankle bone and never softened up. Returned to REI for the Moab Mid Ventilators to go along with the Moab low cuts I bought earlier. Ironically, the low cut Moabs are a size 9 like evey other shoe I wear. Fine for wearing to work. Too small for hiking. The mid Moabs are a 9 1/2. Better.
In the meantime, my wife ordered a pair of the Merrell Radius from a catalog/online retailer. Size 9. Arguably at least a half size bigger than the Moabs. All leather. Great Vibram soles. I loved them. Discontinued before I got them. ARGH! Found a second pair by accident in a DSW store next door to REI. Size 9. Snapped them up. More recently, Gander Mountain reintroduced a Radius II. Not identical to the original, but close enough. I snapped them up in a 9 1/2. I'm good for awhile. I dread starting over when the Radii wear out. I plan to give approach shoes a thorough evaluation next time.
One trend I'm seeing in footwear and almost everything else is a creeping reduction in materials. Shoes, and most everything else, are getting smaller and smaller. "New Features" translates into "we cut back or eliminated all the materials we could."
Anyway, try before you buy. Try everything you can find. The right choice is out there somewhere.

Wayne

[HDLV]

It sounds to me like maybe you should have gone up a half size rather than a full. Rubbing in the heel has always happened when a shoe was to big IME.

[Traveler]

Got my section hike boots - first pair in 35 plus years.
And the other pair is still in good shape but my foot got a little larger than 11. So I got a size 12 now.
On my left heel I got a blister just hiking 5 miles in them. it also rubbed a bit of materiel off my darn tough socks. :(
On my let upper ankle I got what felt like a metal poke on it during the 5 mile hike. :(
:(
I relaced the right shoe three times during the hike in case it was the way the tongue set on my upper ankle.

Any thoughts???

The Merrill Moab low shoes gave me similar problems. The larger foot tends to stay in place, but the smaller likes to move around a lot in shoes that are a half to full size larger for hiking. Lacing techniques can solve the problem. There are a variety of lacing patterns that can be used to keep the heel anchored in the heel cup, keep the tongue from wandering around, and keep the foot from sliding forward.

[gbolt]

I have only used Merrill mids for hiking the last 20 years. I just got the Moab Ventilators from the Wife for Christmas. 1st thing I had to do was take them back to up 1/2 size for thicker socks and swollen feet. I found out the difference between the Waterproof and Non Waterproof (besides $10, lol) is that the waterproof inner boot is a full boot and includes the toes. The none waterproof mid is just an ankle boot and stops at the arch of the foot. This made a huge difference in the feel of the shoe and the way it seemed to "grip" the foot. However, the location of the laces does not allow as great a variety of lacing patterns as I would have liked. As was just mentions, there are lacing techniques to "anchor in" the heel; but they are really limited with the Moab. I am not as sold on them as I was with previous pairs of Merrills. Footwear is crazy. I actually love the fit on my left foot and yet I can't get my larger right foot to fit as well as the left.

[egilbe]

I have a couple pair of Merrell Moab ventilators, shoes and boots. I prefer the shoes, although the soles is kind of soft and they are heavy. The boots, same size, are narrower and fit differently. I bought the boots after the shoes, because I liked the fit of the shoes.

I like the fit and feel of my Oboz Bridgers best, so thats what i wear, mostly.

[Toolumpy]

Could possibly have one foot that is larger? That was my brothers problem.

[TexasBob]

My old Merrill's have finally died and I ordered the Merrill Moab Ventilators and Merrill Pulsate (both non-waterproof) the other day online and got them today. They both fit me pretty well but the Pulsate seems to be a better constructed shoe and fits me better than the Moab. The Pulsate is less breathable as it is mostly a leather upper and the sole is not Vibram like the Moab. It is a lot like my old Merrills.

[Longboysfan]

OK. I was thinking the same thing. maybe 2 pairs of socks. And lace them different.
I must have a odd shaped foot as same happened 40 years ago with my first pair of boots.

Retuen id doubtful as I bought shoes in NJ.
I'm now in Texas.

[Longboysfan]

Yes one foor right may be a bit larger.

[Longboysfan]

I went with two pairs of socks. I guess the boots ran large for size 12.