Boots?

[Marmotnj]

hi everyone, I'm a big fan of merrell products, but have never needed them for something as extensive as a thru hike. I have heard that they are only good for about 250 300 miles. was wondering if any of you veterans of the A.T. have found a good boot that you can put major miles on.

[gravy4601]

i have a pair of Aslo 520's there realy comfortable and i here they last forever that somepeople have thruhiked with the same pair

[Bearpaw]

I have heard that they are only good for about 250 300 miles.

For the mostly fabric design of the Merrell Moab Ventilator, I wouldn't have expected more than about 400 miles before they were coming apart. But I currently have 400-500 miles on a pair and other than having a little less than half their original tread, they are doing fine. No issues with stitching or delamination at all.

As for doing the whole trail on one pair of boots, it can be done, but they would need to be quite heavy to do it. Considering that your feet will likely grow a little along the way, why not go with a lighter, more comfortable shoe that you can replace at a fraction of the cost. You could buy nearly 3 pairs of Merrell Moabs for the price of one pair of Asolo 520's. (Granted, the 520 is a good boot, but pretty heavy for the mostly very well groomed AT.)

[Lostone]

I have worn out merrel's in as little as 100 miles, broken eyelets, gore tex failing, sole separating. Now I hike a lot in a mud and wet, that may contribute, but I am done with Merrel after leaving me with very wet feet for the last two weekends. Another note, you will smash the padding out of the soul in less than 200 miles. of course you can replace the insoles but it will only help a little.


I am looking at Asolo and Vasque. I have spent some time trying on and wearing boots around the local shop. I need to spend some more time. Both fit much different than I am used to. Much Firmer and snugger fit.......... The sales man said that the firmer sole will last longer and is much more comfortable over a longer day. I don't know. I need to plunk down some cash soon. I am leaning toward the Asolo as the wide fits me a little more comfortably...... I am curious what happens after breakin.....Only a year or two in the mud and water will tell for sure.

[Doooglas]

I have worn out merrel's in as little as 100 miles, broken eyelets, gore tex failing, sole separating. Now I hike a lot in a mud and wet, that may contribute, but I am done with Merrel after leaving me with very wet feet for the last two weekends. Another note, you will smash the padding out of the soul in less than 200 miles. of course you can replace the insoles but it will only help a little.


I am looking at Asolo and Vasque. I have spent some time trying on and wearing boots around the local shop. I need to spend some more time. Both fit much different than I am used to. Much Firmer and snugger fit.......... The sales man said that the firmer sole will last longer and is much more comfortable over a longer day. I don't know. I need to plunk down some cash soon. I am leaning toward the Asolo as the wide fits me a little more comfortably...... I am curious what happens after breakin.....Only a year or two in the mud and water will tell for sure.
Mud and water huh. Get a pair of Haix Airpower jungle gore tex or the Airpower P6.
If you cant find them to try on near you, and are afraid to mail, order buy the Vasque Clarion GTX. Those are the 2 boots that have served me well. Fish farming in the ,
'glades and now and guiding and farming down here entails LOTS of mud and wet :(;)

[brotheral]

hi everyone, I'm a big fan of merrell products, but have never needed them for something as extensive as a thru hike. I have heard that they are only good for about 250 300 miles. was wondering if any of you veterans of the A.T. have found a good boot that you can put major miles on.
I too am a big merrell fan. When I began backpacking 10 years ago my 1st 3 pairs of boots were Merrell. Once the sole separated from the upper and I called, got a RO #, returned them, and rec'd a new pair within 1 week. Great service. :)
I also wear, not for hiking, their Convertible III sandals. They're discontinued, but fortunately I bought 2 extra pairs before the stock ran out.
A few years ago I was hearing some good things about Asolo boots. I was looking for something to wear on rough trails with alot of jagged rocks and exposed tree roots. I tried on the TPS 520 GTX and loved them. Fit Perfectly. I haven't put alot of miles on yet, but so far they're great. I'm not a long distance hiker. I simply love to get out and enjoy a few days to a week of backpacking. 5-6 miles would be a real good day for me. Also some day hiking whenever I can. I've never had a blister from hiking... Perhaps the low mileage has something to do with it, but I know high quality boots and socks does too :sun

[Manwich]

I've got a hundred miles on my Merrels. I'll get back to you in a hundred more.

[handlebar]

The LaSportiva Makalu's I wore on the PCT did about 2380 miles, were resoled by Dave, The Cobbler in Seattle and are still going strong. Another pair did the whole AT. These boots are several pounds heavier than the typical trail runners now in vogue, but I found them comfortable. When I reached OR on the PCT, I decided to try out a pair of trail runners and used them for about 300 miles from Ashland to Sisters. Even after the horrible blisters the trail runners gave me healed, I noticed my feet were sore even after just low 20s-mile day. Fortunately, I'd sent the boots ahead to Cascade Locks on the WA border and post office folks were kind enough to forward it back to Sisters for me (another reason to always use priority mail). One note: LaSportiva's tend to fit narrow feet best and sizes run short. YMMV.

[BitBucket]

I've got about 200 miles on my Vasque Wasatch GTX's and they look/feel brand new.

[birdog]

I love Merrell boots. They fit me well but I have experienced about 200 miles on a pair is all I can hope for. I must be hard on boots. My trail runners are very cheap considering I buy them second hand from a local supplier at a fraction of the cost of new. A pair of Salomons cost me around 30 bucks used that would normaly cost over $100 new. If you can find this deal where you live; i.e. thrift stores, bargain shopping, yard sales you can save a bundle on footwear.

[deered22]

I heard many positive reviews on Merrell Moab Ventilator (http://outdoor-equip.com/footwear/shoes/hiking-shoes/merrell-moab-ventilator-2.html) but personally have no experinse with them. Don't like Meller for its all around crowd popularity. You can buy it in local market do not see them in true outdoor shop. But i been wearing sandals from Merrel for 4 years to nowdays :)
http://outdoor-equip.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/400x400/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/M/e/Merrell_Moab_Ventilator1.jpg

[kayak karl]

i have 900 miles on these. http://www.nbwebexpress.com/newbalanceMO1201GT.htm i can maybe get another 200. been looking at NB 1500. hear they are better, but gor-tex takes SO SO long to dry:(

read that Minnesota Smith wore the same boot:D

[Spirit Walker]

The Moab ventilators are very light and have very little support. I like them for short dayhikes, but my feet ache after more than 8 miles or so. They used to make a shoe called the Mesa which had better support, but it was discontinued. Of course. The Moabs are also no protection on rocky trails - might as well be barefoot.

Vasque has a nice running shoe that I wear for most of my hiking. Can't remember the name, but they're green. I wore those for 700 or so miles in NM.

Lowa used to make a good light boot that Jim and I wore for years, but they started having problems with the quality. The boots would split near at the toebend after only about 300 miles. After replacing them several times and having the same issue on each pair, we decided that given the cost of the boots, it wasn't worth it, though they were more comfortable than any running shoes I've worn.

So now I too am looking for a new shoe. I like running shoes, but if I'm going to spend $125 for a pair, I want them to last more than a month and I need something that protects my feet from the rocks better than the Moab does.