View Full Version : Merrell Moab Ventilator (Low)
riverine17
07-23-2012, 16:11
Just wanted to post a quick review...
Wore these shoes on a week long backcountry hike and they performed great. Ran true to size, no break in time needed. The temps were in the mid-high 70's the whole time and my feet were kept cool. The shoe gave great traction on loose and steep terrain and I did not notice any slippage, even on wet rocks. Although the shoe is not waterproof, I did not notice any leakage while stepping on rocks across rivers/streams or when the water splashed over the shoe. They are the low model so not much ankle support but they do a great job for what they were intended for. After a weeks of hard use, no visable wear or tear... good buy.
I have been wearing them for about 5 years now. I wear the soles off two pairs a year. they WILL pick up sand (ventilator being a key word here), but I love mine also.
rocketsocks
07-23-2012, 17:30
My son has the Merrill Ventilators and likes them, I wear boots, hehe
brotheral
07-23-2012, 17:51
Love my Moab Ventilators too... Been using them since last Fall for day hikes from 5 to 10 miles. Going to do a few backpacking trips soon. How do you think they'll do with 30 to 35 pounds on my back ??
I love mine. I bought 3 pairs after the 1st set wore out because i was afraid they would "improve" or discontinue them. I even like them in the cold (down to about 25) with a set of wool socks
I bought a pair and have done some easy hikes with them. My son went through 5-6 of them on his thru. Very comfortable, not very durable.
I got a pair of the Mids aboit 6 months ago. So far so good.
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I love mine. I bought 3 pairs after the 1st set wore out because i was afraid they would "improve" or discontinue them. I even like them in the cold (down to about 25) with a set of wool socksI had trouble finding them once (at a non-REI store). So I tried something else (big mistake). I went back to REI and the sales person told me (this was about 3 years back), "Moab Ventilators are the number one seller for Merrell. I really doubt they would be so stupid as to quit making them". I can even walk in the store and get my size 13's.
And I hike about 12 miles once a week in them.
And I have hiked with 25 pounds in a Deuter, no issues at all.
I bought a pair early last November for a hike in rocky Pa. - excellent on the rocks. They recently were deemed unwearable after using them for my full-time footwear since then. My orthotics (lifting my arches) as well as my natural tendency to walk on the outsides of my feet did them in. The heel pocket was history in a few months as my heel is narrow and slipped quite a bit. Overall, they are a good choice for hiking and general use (I work standing up 8 hours a day and weigh about 220, so I'm not disappointed with the service that they gave me).
I bought a pair early last November for a hike in rocky Pa. - excellent on the rocks. They recently were deemed unwearable after using them for my full-time footwear since then. My orthotics (lifting my arches) as well as my natural tendency to walk on the outsides of my feet did them in. The heel pocket was history in a few months as my heel is narrow and slipped quite a bit. Overall, they are a good choice for hiking and general use (I work standing up 8 hours a day and weigh about 220, so I'm not disappointed with the service that they gave me).LOL!! you and I have the same issues! Orthotics and I kill the soles in about 5 months. But yeah, they get about 12 to 15 miles a week on trails, then 15 miles on the concrete city trail a week, plus night wear, weekend wear and such.
rusty bumper
07-24-2012, 16:56
I went through 3 pair of these on my almost-thru-hike in 2011. They were great right out of the box, although I did toss the insoles and replaced them with Dr. Scholl's Gel Sport insoles that I was also very pleased with. In addition to their comfort, they really drain quickly after fording streams and rivers. I'm on my 4th pair right now!
ferdEggmont
07-27-2012, 20:45
I also used these shoes and they were great. Merrel also offers one free replacement for AT thru hikers. Good post.
Old Grouse
07-28-2012, 08:18
I actually saw them in the men's dept of Lord & Taylor.
Odd Man Out
07-28-2012, 15:04
The are in all the stores around home, but maybe it helps that their world HQ is just up the road. I loved my. When they finally wore out I tried on a bazillion other options and nothing worked as well for me. You should note that when I did this (a couple of years ago), the GoreTex version fit very differently and was quite uncomfortable on my foot, which is OK, as I didn't want the waterproof ones anyway. But just be note when trying them on that the original and waterproof versions may fit quite differently. BTW, I was having trouble finding the right length and color of replacement laces a few weeks ago and couldn't find any (shoe stores don't sell shoe laces anymore, go figure). Anyway, I called Merrell and they mailed me replacement laces free of charge (nice).
Bought a pair of the mids last summer, liked that they were light and breatheable (yea it was hot last year too). Unfortunately the sole has no shank and it felt as if every rock was coming through the sole, it just wasn't working. Still looking for the perfect boot.
House of Payne
07-28-2012, 16:52
I'm in the testing phase of finding the right shoes for my thru in 2014. Right now the shoes I am working through is the Merrel camelion 4 w/ GT. The second choice I have yet to try out is the moab, so this is a nice post to get some ideas from. Even after trying other shoes out over the years I have found that merrel has the best traction on dry and wet surfaces. I understand that the rubber may be a bit softer than other shoes and wear out faster but in my opinion I will spend the money on the same shoe again if it works for me and keeps me safe.
From the 1970s through the early 1990s, the sole of choice was Vibram's Rocciablock or Montagnablock, both wore like iron and gripped slick, wet surfaces as if they were Teflon. They were great on dirt and good in mud, but the rubber was so hard that it did not conform to small irregularities in rock well. Softer compounds were found to be better for grip, though they do not wear as well. I'll agree that safety is waaaaay more important than long sole life.
nickamante
11-19-2012, 16:38
I bought a pair of Moab Ventilators for the trail and they're so comfortable they've turned into my every day shoes. As soon as REI has another sale I'll probably pick up a second pair. If it wasn't for potential changes in shoe size on the trail I'd probably just buy a small stock them :-)
Have been using these for years. Great shoes though I would drop some insoles in. Used three pairs on my thru this year, third pair should have been replaced around Damascus but they got me to Springer. As ferdeggmont said they will hook thru hikers up.
No Directions
02-25-2013, 20:08
I bought a pr of the mids in 2009 because they were available in wide widths. I couldn't be happier with them. I just ordered a pr of the lows.
Kerosene
02-25-2013, 22:14
I'm in the testing phase of finding the right shoes for my thru in 2014. Right now the shoes I am working through is the Merrel camelion 4 w/ GT.I strongly advise you to stay away from the Gore-tex models for a thru-hike. Your boots are guaranteed to get wet, and once they do, it will take days to get them dry. With breathable boots like the Ventilator, your feet will get wet quickly, but they will dry out in a stretch of dry trail. Plus, your feet won't sweat nearly as much in temperatures above 40 degrees. Save the Gore-tex for day hikes.