I'm a happy owner of two pairs of Merrells, but one pair (purchased in 2009) finally gave out - the sole is separating from the shoe at the toe.

I called Merrell and they gave me a 20% off discount code to use on their website, but I thought I would ask you fellas here and solicit your opinions on what other brands I should be looking at before I buy another pair of Merrells.

Intended use:  hunting/camping/range drills.  I would like ankle support (i.e., mid height), but don't want to lace up boots to my calves.  Waterproof would be nice, but not necessarily a must have.  Comfort is important, obviously.  Budget is around $100.

Thanks in advance.

Check out Salomon boots. I've got a couple different pair and the are excellent boots.

I have tried Merrell (2 pair), Solomon and Lowa in the past few years. Here is my take:

1) Merrell: Comfortable and fine for "light duty". I have an older model that has held up well (not sure which one), but my Moabs were not as durable as the others on this list.
2) Solomon: These have been very durable and I have been pretty hard on them (including partially melting the sole near a fire). Even though they are durable they are still pretty light. They are comforable, but they took a long time to break in. I felt they had too much arch support which made my feet ache. Now that they are broken in I think they are comfortable. Mine are the goretex version, but my feet seem to get wet pretty easy when I use them.
3) Lowa: I just got these as a gift recently. I have only worn them a few times, but they were probably the most comfortable out of the box. They appear to be made a little better than my Merrell's, but I have not used them enough to confirm. I think they are also the lightest (just an observation. I have not measured them). I have high hopes for these, but they are too new to make any judgements.

I have heard good things about Keens, but I do not have any experience.

I switched to the hiker-style boots from Danners a few years ago and I have been very happy. The light weight of the hiker boots is why I prefer them.

+1.  I have a low and a mid.  I wear the mid for work every day.  I'm thinking about getting a second mid so when it gets discontinued, I'll be set.



 

I find Keen Voyaguers to be the most comfortable.  YMMV

I've had great luck with Asolo boots. Typically above 100.00 but wait for a sale.

let me know if I have this right or if im missing something:

- you have a 7 year old pair of shoes that the sole is separating from
- you called Merrell to complain about how one of their products, which is 7 years old, is finally wearing out
- Merrell graciously responded by offering you 20% another pair of their shoes
- Now you are looking for another brand of shoes

Im not personally a big fan of Merrell shoes but I guess Merrell going above and beyond with customer service and ensuring their customers are happy with their products is all for not.  I wear Salewa's almost exclusively but I guarantee that if I called them today and told them a pair of their shoes I bought 7 years ago just wore out and want to know what they are going to do about it, i would probably get laughed at.


With that being said, why not just get another pair of Merrells?

You misunderstand how my conversation with the Merrell customer service rep went.  I was pleasant, I didn't ask them for anything, and the conversation ended well.  It was about a 2 minute phone call which was initiated by me telling her what happened, and asking her what warranty they offer on their shoes.  She carried the rest of the conversation, and I thanked her for offering a discount.

Now, with that being said, do you recommend Salewas?  The point of this thread was to solicit suggestions, not criticism.

Sounds like Solomon is a common recommendation in this thread - I'll check them out.

Okay sorry. I guess I misunderstood the tone your interaction with merrell.

Yes, I like Salewa, a lot. I has several pairs of the previous generation Firetail Evo, both gore text and non goretex. Maybe my favorite shoe of all time. I have worn them all over the world in every condition imaginable. Used them on arduous approaches and low grade rock climbs. However, they completely redesigned the shoe for the new generation. While I haven't put these through the ringer yet, my initial impression is that I'm not on board with them like I was the others. I also have the wildfire GTX which are a tank of an approach shoe.  If you are looking for ankle support, I would look at the Salewa Firetail Evo Mid. Good luck

Much appreciated, thanks for the suggestion.  I'll give Salewa a serious look.

Keen boots are like no other boots you will try.

OST.

I'm on my second pair of Danner boots, got about 800 miles (light hiking) out of the last pair and looks like my current pair is on target for about 700 to 900 miles before it'll need a replacement. Just looking for ideas on something more durable.

Anyone know of a gortex boot that says waterproof beyond 200 miles? Seems that's the first thing to fail for me.

Danner and Solomon boots are great for what you're looking at. Anything else and I'd say red wing but you don't want to lace them up to your calves so those are out for the most part. Cabelas is running some deals on all their boots right now up to 55% off and free shipping over $49

Garamont are my new favorite. Two of the most comfortable out of the box boots I've used.

Great support, decent breathability and overall a great buy. Check Extreme Outfitters.

All the brands suggested above have good, solid reputations. Personally, I like Merrell for light duty low & mid-tops and Lowa for serious hiking/expedition boots, and the wife swears by Solomon.

Best bet, if you're in Dallas or otherwise near a REI store, is to go to REI and try on bunch a different pairs. The boot staff at REI tends to be pretty knowledgable and are usually more than willing to spend time with a customer to find the best fit.

REI Store Locator

ETA: Looks like they're having sale that includes hiking boots and shoes, Keen, Merrell, etc. among them.

Salomon. Nice discount through promotive if you qualify.

I just saw this link in my Twitter feed and it reminded me of this thread.  I figured I'd share here in case anyone wants to take advantage of the sale.

http://soldiersystems.net/2016/08/25/us-elite-semi-annual-salomon-forces-sale/?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed

I used to sell hiking footwear, and have owned many of the major brands including: Keen, Merrell, and Salomon.  They are all great but I believe each has a fault.

Keens were probably the most comfortable for myself, I recommend the Targhee (waterproof mid) or Voyageurs (non waterproof mid).  The cons to Keens is the soles tend to separate from the bottom of the shoes faster than the other brands mentioned.

Salomon: I own a couple pair of Salomons, both are the goretex version.  I can vouch that they are waterproof and are extremely comfortable.  They do take quite a bit of time to break in.  Also the soles on my salomons tend to wear down pretty fast.  Due to this I usually just wear them in spring and winter to help make them last.

Merrell: My main pair of hiking boots are Merrells.  They are  the Phaser Peak which I believe are no longer made.  They are bomb proof.  They did take quite a bit of breaking in.  The soles on Merrells, especially those with Vibram tend to last forever, and will most likely separate before being completely worn down.  I do know that not too long ago Merrell was purchased by Wolverine, and the quality has gone down hill.

In conclusion, they are all great boots.  Just depends on what works for you, and what you're looking for.

Merrell moved their production to China a while back not sure when.  General consensus from the hiking community is their quality took a nose dive.  Similar to what happened with Optima batteries when they moved production to Mexico.  I personally recommend (not that that means anything haha) Solomon at the moment.  Comfortable, tough, LIGHT.  The light weight is the biggest thing to me.  It's like wearing air haha.  

They also makea  "jungle boot" now as well someone had posted in the gear section.

I switched to the keen targahee tac and the voyager.  Ive had salomons, the only problem was they dont make them big enough

Tactical distributors has 25% off all Salomons right now. I just ordered another pair

I am a fan of Salomon and Vasque.  My Vasque Juxts are the most comfortable and versatile footwear I have ever had.

I'm very happy with my Scarpa Kailash boots. I'd buy them again.

Here is my take. I've worn Keen, Merrel, Vasque, Salomon, New Balance, Oakley, Bates, and Rocky footwear while contracting overseas for damn near a decade. Oh, and I recently have got a pair of the Under Armor boots for light duty working here at a local gun shop.

The Merrell Moab is hands down the most comfortable shoe and mid-rise boot I've ever worn out of the box. They will last less than a year in under hard use in rough terrain, but for $100 a pop, it's worth it. My next outdoor fun shoe will be another pair of Moab mids.

The Salomon XA Pro GTX shoe and mid-rise boot are hellacious tough and waterproof, but they simply are not as comfortable as the other shoes and boots I've worn. The soles on the XA Pro GTX are incredibly slippery, but the soles on the Speedcross 3 isn't. When I say they aren't as comfortable, I don't by any means suggest they are uncomfortable, just slightly less than the others. They are also the easier to clean. If you are gonna be in the back country, I suggest buying an extra pair of speed laces, though I have never broke the ones i've had on several pair over the years.

The Keen have a great toe - it has a big, wide toe box and they are great for hot weather when your feet swell and sweat. They are almost as tough as the Salomons. I have a pair from Iraq and Afghanistan that I still use today. I can't say that for any of the others except the Salomons. Also, like the Salomon, the Keen soles are slippery as shit....almost dangerously so. You'll learn to avoid wet rocks and wet floors with Keen and Salomon. I have never heard any body else voice this complaint, so it very well could be just me, but it is a very real con for me  - I am less confident in wet, slick conditions when wearing the Keen and Salomons.

The other brands have their pros and cons, but they aren't something I'd buy again - the three brands I listed above are. As always, YMMV, just my observations based on several, several years of using the kind of footwear you asking about.

That's exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for.  Thanks for taking the time to post a thorough response.  This week I got back on the kick to get a pair of boots/shoes again, and I've been waffling between my tried and true Moabs and the Salomon XA Pro GTX.  Looks like I'll go with the Moabs again because I got so many years out of my last pair, and it's like wearing a pair of off road sneakers (read: comfortable).

Thanks Jarhead.

I have 3 pair Salomon. All Quest, 2 GTX 1 non. Oldest is nearing 6 years old. I don't find them slippery when wet. They make Moabs seem like a joke and cost twice as much too.

 

FPNI

I have a couple pairs of Merrell's and four pairs of Keens.  I love the Keens for the toe box and general fit and comfort.  I have a wide foot and love the lasts that Keen uses for their boots.  I have two pairs of Targhees, a pair of Voyageurs and a pair of all black Detroits that I wore for a couple of years when I was LEOing.  I haven't noticed the slick soles thing, next time I'm in wet/slick conditions I'll have to pay more attention and see if they're worse than the Merrells or other boots that I have.

I guess the slippery issue is just me. That's interesting and I wonder why. It hasn't been with just one pair of Keens and Salomons, but every pair that I've ever owned. Maybe I am too light in the ass to get good traction (150lbs), lol....

Never tried Salomon's, but I've been wearing a pair of 5.11 ATAC Storm boots for nearly 10 years and alternate those with a pair of KEEN's.