The Shoe That Broke the Hiking Footwear Industry 

On deployment heaps of Australian SAS were wearing the MOAB boots and I went, well if these guys are wearing them in a literal life and death situation they must be good. So I bought a pair of MOAB 2 and I have never looked back, the absolute best hiking shoe I have ever worn and I’ve taken them every where; Casual, around town, gardening/landscaping, backpacking, trails, up mountains, down valleys, through water and they are still going, still comfortable. No blisters, no sore feet, works well with my narrow feet and the support is unparalleled. I don’t need to look for another shoe because there isn’t a boot that can do any better to what my feet get from these.

Back in the early 90s Merrell products arrived in the UK and I had quite a bit of contact with the footwear Guru, Gary Richter; then Merrell’s Minister Of Culture. At the time there were no Vibram soles on any of their hiking shoes, instead they used their own branded ones. The problem with these soles was they retained a coating of the mould-release compound which made the sole almost useless in wet conditions, thus earning them the unfortunate name of “Perrells”. One afternoon I received a call from Gary who was very concerned about the drop in sales here in the UK. I suggested it was due to the sole units and that UK customers only had faith in Vibram and Skywalk soles, with a preference for Vibram. I doubt I was the only one to tell him this, but without the switch to Vibram I can’t imagine these shoes would have attained the sales and status they have.

Love my mid Moab hiker’s. 1000 miles on my first pair and on to my second. Durable, comfortable and very reasonably priced.

I used my moab 2 mid for about a year while serving with a conservation corps in colorado. I absolutely beat the crap out of them, in four season weather. Anything from chainsawing in the snow to spraying herbicide on cliffsides in the middle of summer. They performed beautifully in all these conditions. They are still my favorite boots.

I have those, and it's the only shoe I can hike 10 miles without my feet hurting

The last few Merrells that my family purchased came apart prematurely

Huge Merrell Moab fan - it is the only hiking shoe /boot I can take out of the box and go for a 10km hike with no worries, on my 3rd pair now with a couple of reserves in the cupboard 👍 often use Smartwool socks for complete comfort 😁

I brought a pair of them a month ago and have clocked 250km in them. I love them and am buying another pair as soon as I can.

Yeah. I now have 5 pairs of Merrell shoes over 10 years of wearing them. I recently moved to the Moab Mid height to give me more support there. The Merrell store always is running a by one get two half off sale.

It's essentially the RAV4 of the hiking shoes. It's a shoe that is not necessarily the best in each category (like you said, there are others with better traction or comfort). But it is a solid and proven shoe with the right features. You get a lot of shoe for a reasonable price.

Yes they are that good. I climbed the mountain route on Mt. Whitney with those and have been wearing them ever since. Great grip and durable.

I’ve worn out 3 pair and my oldest pair now is my lawn mowing pair. I have two pair for casual walking and hiking. But the real winner is I can wear them all day and my feet do not hurt. So I’ve had 7 pair, 2 defunct, 2 work and 3 casual and hiking. When I wear them, I’m good for an hour or 12 hours of walking. Their size 10 and the last is perfect for my foot. Oh, I I wore them in Moab!

yes we all have Merrell Moab's, I do and like and wear them often. I have been trying another similar hiking shoe and think I like them more. Try Keen Targee's, I like the big toe box that lets my toes spread out. The Moab vents I like for warm weather hiking.

I bought a pair of gray/blue Merrell boots in the mid-90's and used them thoroughly in the mountains of Colorado. The sole at the heel later started letting go, was glued back on with Shoe-Goo, as did the other sole of the other shoe. Beat and battered, they became my mowing/work on house boots. Then my son took them on his first hiking trips and loved them- much more so than newer Columbia's I got for him. They have a place of honor now, l use them to this day- 35 years- in my work painting and cleaning up- all original. I have waterproof Moabs now as my adventure hiker.

On my 2nd pair of Moabs. I have done 3 backpack trips in these in the Grand Canyon. I didnt have any issues with my feet and my feet actually feel good coming out of the Canyon every time.

In 1991 I bought Merrell leather mountaineering sandals (with metal protector around heels) and believe or not, with some minor repairs they are still going strong.

If you have plantar fasciitis as I do, this shoe is fantastic. Got me back in the woods! Traction is great for me, I will stick with the Moab.

My first pair of Merrells I just recently got are the Vapor Glove 6 and I'm pretty happy with them actually.

I own a pair of Moab mid GTX since 2012, I wear them all the time, all the time and since day one is like having a fluffy cloud beneath my feet. I rarely use anything else because I feel my feet are well protected. Only about one year ago did the black part at the front started deteriorating (on one shoe) and I want to buy a new pair, even the laces are still pristine. Best thing I ever bought.

I have Merrell Moab first generation since 2008, just the next year of their production. They are still alive. Good fit with medium and heavy socks for me. The width of their last allows to wear different kind of socks. Have many other pairs of hiking and hunting boots, so wearing them all and properly care you can keep them in line for a very long time. Decents boots for outdoor activity almost all time and season.

I have had several pairs over the years and love them. Great for most hiking scenarios and look cool just strooling around.

Thank you for this video. I have owned several pairs of Merrells over the years. They have never let me down.

I really like both the Merrell shoes and the boots. As a hiker of a "certain age" I have put a LOT of miles on my feet and in some cases done damage by using the wrong shoe for the conditions. These protect the soles of my feet from injury, they feel good all day, I appreciate the Vibram grip and they hang in there with a long trek or many months of hiking in all conditions where my old trail runners just fell apart. A win.

I've been wearing my Moab rovers for more than 6 years now. they are durable and comfortable. However, the glue they used got weak after 2 years - I had the boots stitched up and it's been indestructible ever since.

I bought my first pair of Moab Boots years back because they offered a non-gortex model at a time when many other boots only came with goretex liners. Goretex boots are just too hot for summer hiking for me. Comfort and fit is relative because everyone's foot is different. These fit my foot well.

I've been through several pairs of these so I know a lot about them. I end up having ones for daily wear, ones for lawn mowing, ones for digging and getting muddy. I just bought yet another pair. If you need truly waterproof ones, get the Gore-Tex ones. I put them to a real test recently when mowing my ditch. It was filled with a few inches of water and even after the shoes being a year old no water got in. The "Waterproof" ones are barely water resistant. Other than mowing my ditch, I find having the Gore-Tex ones great because I often start mowing my 2 acre property in the morning before the dew is gone by trimming and edging where having wet grass doesn't matter so much. The Gore-Tex ones keep my feet dry. These shoes are fine for hiking and walking on pavement as well. (I'm "old" now, so I'm talking going a few miles; upwards of 6 miles.) The only real problem is that where I encounter a restaurant with a smooth and damp floor they are terribly slippy; like dangerously slippy. I suppose it is due to the hard (yet durable) soles.

I love the MOABs, I have the waterproof versions in low and high top. I also have their other designs with the same long wearing sole that are lighter. But the most important reason I am a loyal customer is because they have wide widths available in all their designs!!

Also because it’s one of the only models available that isn’t waterproof for people who actually understand how bad waterproof boots can be in many situations.

I have a pair of Moabs from 2008 that’s still going. I’ve re-soled them a few times.

have 2 pair of Moab 2 Ventilator mids...great boots. My first pair have to be 6 years old with many hundreds if not thousands of miles on them. My latest pair were the last of the MOAB 2s bought on Black Friday last year for $50. That pair has a few hundred miles imcluding a 50 mile Badlands and Custer hike over 3 days.

I had a Moab pair. They are really good hiking shoes. I will get another pair for the summer.

I have both Low and Mid Moab 1 & 2’s, just bought some 3’s, all non-waterproof. They have been the only wide hiking shoe that is comfortable right out of the box and on to the trail. The 1’s have now been regulated to being my gardening and choring shoes, it’s gonna take several more years of lawn cutting to finally kill them(at which time they will live out their lives up in my Shoetree). The Low-2’s are black, and discreet enough to pass as “not a hiking shoe” in a dark restaurant when traveling. The Mid-3’s kids will be my Outback hiking shoe on my coming up trip to Queensland. Now if they only made them snakeproof….🥾🐍

Great video. Thanks. I bought one pair and loved it so much, I bought an identical second pair. Just in case it was discontinued. I guess my fears were misplaced. I do agree that they don’t have the best wet traction. They do not grip well on the wet/damp cobblestones of Portugal. I do love them just the same!

That's my favorite shoe, when I first purchased it, the sale people were saying they were selling these mostly to roofers, as they found the shoe did a fantastic job of gripping surfaces on the job sites.

I must add that their customer service is second to none. I called on a Saturday and actually got a person within a couple minutes.

I´ve owned several of the Merrell MOAB 2 & agree...they are very comfortable....no break in period. However, i´ve for the last few years had Lowa Zephyr GTX & prefer them every day of the week due to beeing more rigid giving you more support & they also hold up/last longer.

BTW, I still have two pars of Merrell Switchback GTX boots. They continue to rock and roll. Still waterproof. Still providing great ankle support.

On my second pair (Moab 2s now Moab 3), and my first pair lasted 4 years or daily wear. Love me some Moabs!

I have been using my only pair for 3-4 years from casual, to airsoft, to school, hiking, cycling, motorcycling, running, through mud, dirt, rain or shine. They Iook old now but it has never been touched by a shoe repair until this day. Perfect for everyday use.

I've had a pair of Yakota 2's for a few years . I've literally washed them so many times and waterproofed them twice. The reason I love Merrell is the way they cup my heel. Yes the toe pad is flat that's just the way they are BUT once my feet got used to them I cannot wear other shoes. My Yakotas are USED bigtime and the padding has totally collapsed yet I wear them still . So I just now bought the Crosslander series which has the same foot design platform. The croaslander has more sued and less mesh which is the thing I disliked the most with the yakota 2s design. I don't care for the look of the Moabs but I might buy a pair next time around .

I switch between the Merrell MOAB 2 and the Danner Mountain 600. The MOAB 2 has a wider toebox and doesn't rub on my little toes but its sole is a bit harder. The Danner has a more comfortable sole, but has a bit narrower toebox. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Of these 25M sold, possibly a few thousands use it for hiking. I use it for everyday use ... very comfy.

I have pretty complicated feet apparently, and just discovered pretty recently while looking for a hiking boot. So I went into amazon ordered some 10 pairs, from keen, to adidas to salewa and nothing felt good. Went into shops and tried more adidas, more salewas, timberlands, anything i could get my feet on and nothing fit. Loosing hope, ordered more keen's thargee 3 and they felt good, except my heel just would not stay in place, and rumors tell, they tend to self destruct quickly, but on the last batch of boots there came the moab 3 I ordered just to fill the box and was planing to just return them, until I put them on, and instantly they felt dreamy and fit perfectly. The moab 3 low are now my everyday shoe while looking to still buy that hiking boot, it will probably end up being a moab 3 gtx for winter...

I have wearing Merrels here in Vermont since the 90’s. It really is the shoe for everything and I love them.

Do they still make the Moab Ventilators? I wore those for years. A few years ago I switched to a similar shoe under the brand Oboz, because they fit my foot shape a little better.

I wouldn't use hiking shoes for mountain biking, I don't know why people keep suggesting this. They won't grip a flat pedal like a proper MTB shoe or even a skate shoe, but the pedal will still shred the sole (and your shins). A proper flat pedal MTB shoe has a flat sole with very grippy rubber, basically the same type of rubber as climbing or approach shoes but also very stiff support for a solid pedaling platform, skate shoes are also commonly used as they have the flat, sticky sole just without the pedal support.

Great review, and I concur with your assessment of the Moab (2). I've had the 2's for a few years, and as you stated, they perform adequately. My current favorite shoe is the Oboz Bridger Low B-Dry hiking shoe. Super robust and supportive, with a rugged outsole, solid midsole and nubuck uppers with good foot protection all around. Any experience with that brand? Thanks, and enjoy a great 2024!

It has a good price point. It has wide distribution. But they are not robust enough for extensive scrambling in rock gardens.

Had a pair about a decade ago, they were fine for day hiking on smooth~ish trails, grip wasn't great when scrambling and they weren't that protective on rocky trail. For me personally the Keen Targhees have been a better fit, more protective, a bit more grip, just as comfortable. I also tried a pair of Oboz hiking shoes, they had incredible grip and good support, but were pretty uncomfortable on anything more than a short hike, they were also quite heavy.

Back in 2011 I sustained a turf toe injury and needed something to walk in with a stiff enough sole to keep my big toe from bending. That was my first Moabs. I got my second pair five years ago and they're still going strong. They're durable and comfortable--with no funky lumps on the inner sole that irritate my feet. Why mess with success?

Great hiking boots, wore the Merrell from the mid 90's until I switched to Solomon around 2016. I still recommend Merrell to people who are just getting into hiking as the price point is good and the shoes look good with jeans and chinos. And I know a lot of people who don't hike but bought them to look outdoorsy.

I was working in a very busy and dirty wearhouse for 3 years. I wore these shoes everyday summer, fall and winter and they kept my feet cool during the summer, warm and breathable in the winter and cozy in the fall. I LOVE these shoes. They also kept my feet safe from sharp objects I’ve brushed up against like wood chips and nails sticking out.

I love these shoes and use Moab 2 and 3 mostly for work where I am always on my feet and they are wet for most of the day. I burn through a pair about every 10-12 months of daily use and what usually fails is an eventual crack in the inside area near by big toe, don't know why that's the spot. No other part of the shoe has ever come apart for me. For the price and the abuse I put them through, no comparison on value. I also use Moab 3's for general walking and normal use and have for many years. I will admit that when hiking with a pack I use Solomon's as my feet feel a lot better at the end of the day. The foot bed just feels more secure when under load. Anyway, superb value for Merrell.

Been wearing them for years specifically the Moab as they come in a wide. Doesn’t need a break in period👍👍

Comfortable out of the box. Good price, although like everything else, it's going up. For hiking rougher terrain, prefer to add a stiff sole insert.

I have 3 pairs of Merrells, without a doubt the best shoe I’ve ever owned…I have 3 pairs, the oldest is 17 years old and I still wear that pair today! Ergonomics are brilliant, material is fantastic and durability, unsurpassed! 💪🇿🇦

Have had about 4 pairs of MOABs. Hiked all the NH 4000 footers in them . Just bought a new pair to hike Mt Washington Tuesday.

I have a ton of hiking shoes and boots and I have to admit when I got the Merrells they were the most comfy right out of the box. Also, they do not pick up rocks and deposit them into the shoe like my Altras do.

Never heard of it before today

I use Merrell Moabs at work standing on concrete floors all day with added Spenco ground control high arch insoles, it proves to be an unbeatable combination. My Moabs are also for hiking as the same pair can endure work and play without a hitch. Yet at one time I swore by Nike ACG Mountain shoes were the best for me. But once they started falling apart prematurely with the soles coming off due to poor glue I was finished purchasing them for good.

i've had two pairs of them. my 2nd pair is now primarily relegated for the monsoon season. it's not moab though. its adhesive holding the sole to the uppers has now gone sideways but i just brought it the neighborhood cobbler and had them stitched and they're as good as new.

I picked these up today for landscaping , I walk a lot. Hopefully they work well. Didn’t even know they were hiking shoes lol

And before the Moabs everyone was told that boots were the only options for hiking. While I can’t hike as I once did, sadly I was a boot hiker unless the last couple years of hiking. I wish I had known! They would have saved me many blisters and sore feet. Oh well, I still enjoy walking in them 🙂

watch all your videous, great reviews and production, can you please tell me what are in your opinion the best hiking shoes for day to day use? I want to be able to go to work so breatheability is important. Thank you. EDITED: I forgot to mention, I work indoor at normal room temperature 🙂

Hi, can you post some video about how someone become long distance hiker, what kind of exersice one should do....or things like this.

I've owned some of them and I liked them. They fit well and felt good, and gave good traction. I didn't think they lasted as long as they should have, and I didn't think the pricing was all that good. There are other brands that I like as well and a brand that I think is better in every way, what I'm wearing now.

I’ve had a pair of these hiking shoes for the last 6 years (foot doctor recommended them) and they are still in good condition, I wear them everyday 9 months of the year (not in the summer unless hiking) My stepson has been through several pairs during the same time period, although he is overweight which makes a big difference in shoe wear!

I have Merrill slip ons. Love them!

The first non-hiking shoes I wore after ditching the heavy leather Vibram-soled monsters? Nike Air Tailwind, the shoe before Nike visible Air was available in 1978. Great for PCT and desert hiking.

Love my Moab mid FST breathable and very grippy on the rocky mountain terrain trekking in India

I use the mid-height Moab 3 and love its light weight. It’s easily the second best shoe/boot for non-winter use that I’ve used(and the best, the original Brasher boot from 1982) is no longer made… But my UK boots don’t have that vibram sole and I really wish they did. The mixed sole I have is proving too soft and is wearing out quickly.

Have you ever tried Mammut shoes? I love my Duncan Low GTX. I have bought 2 pairs and about to buy a 3rd. I wear them daily and for hiking.

I have the merrel ventilator I think there basically the same and I love em

Great video. A correction for you - There's 26 million pairs of feet in Australia, not 50 million :)

For me, thing that makes them really great is that a) they fit me and b) I've been able to buy the same shoe year after year after year. Before I found the Merrill Moab, I would find a shoe that I liked but when I went back several months later, that model was no longer available, replaced by something completely different leaving me to have to find another shoe that fits.

I have been wearing Merrill Moab’s for decades. We hike an average of 7 miles a day (obviously retired) on the trails in the foothills above our home. They wear like iron and fit like a glove.

Its true. I am wearing my first pair, with the vibram sole removed down to the sponge. For boating.

Hiked a lot. I bought these to go to my local forest and town and biking (cannot beat the price) I feel them a bit when i step hard . a bit thin but they overdeliver. I do rucking 20 kg weight vest. after 3 weeks a bought a pair for my mum

I’ve had multiple pairs over the last 10 years. They work great everywhere and for most hikes, though I went with Altra Lone Peaks for the Camino De Santiago, due to Moab’s giving me blisters on the longer training days. I don’t do the Gore Tex or waterproof, both miss the mark.

Because it’s the most comfortable shoe or boot I’ve ever worn. I like so much I’ve bought 3 pair. 1 have nearly worn out and other 2 cause I failed to pick a color so I bought both in waterproof ( which remains to be proved )

Never heard of these shoes. I always like Merrell but Altra is my new favorite.

I always thought Moab referred to Moab, Utah where Arches National Park is. My memories of this place feature some intense desert hiking and very long inclines.

For the price the Merrell makes great shoes. My top pick for quality is Oboz.

The first edition Moab 1 is way better than the more current ones, when they dropped the extra eyelets at the top for the shoelaces. Without the extra eyelet pair, the heals tend to slide up and down more when walking. I still have a stockpile of Moab 1's hoping they bring back the extra eyelet pair someday.

I like Merrils but love my Obos.

every day i only wear merrells!!!!!!

Yeah, they are leagues above anything else. I wore only the waterproof version for years and on multiple hikes before I had to buy another pair of shoes. Now, I just walk in the store, buy one more and that's it. I'm on my third pair and still as happy

Good marketing, mouth to mouth marketing, dominance in the scene, means it’s obviously present at every corner.

The best I ever had...I found mine to be too warm but comfort wise exceptional.

I have had a number of pairs of Moab boots and shoes but the last couple of pairs have been poorly constructed and have not lasted more than a few months. Shoe specialists in two well credentialled outdoor stores have agreed with me that quality has become quite variable. They were always my backup and camp shoes in New Zealand, Tasmania and in multiple trips to Patagonia and Peru and were approach boots for mountineering in the Cordillera Blanca pre-covid. No more. Recent experience with Keen boots has been much better.

I've owned two pairs of Moabs, and I would characterize them as the "New Balance" of hiking shoes. The first pair were good. The second pair were never comfortable. I tried aftermarket inserts which did not help. They felt bulkier and more "clunky" than the first pair. Just switched over to Salomon Genesis which were nearly a pound lighter than the Moabs and broken in/ready to go straight from the box. I'll never go back to Merrell, but if they work for you, great.

I wish they'd trim down the weight some. After wearing some Brooks running shoes, its almost impossible to wear the moabs without the weight being a constant awareness. Also, Merrell needs to do something about their laces... I can't be the only one that has a problem keeping them tied - they're too slippery somehow.

Less inclined to turn my big toe at a 45° angle. Big toes generally don't naturally angle toward the centre of your foot like most shoes attempt to achieve.

How many countries are they made in I know 3? I find them the most all around comfortable footwear I’ve been wearing them for years.

I have the moab 3 and overall I like it. Do any of you find that their arch is a bit flat inside? It seems to me all merrels are like this

Does the sole last more than 6 months if you wear it daily for walking a dog where a 75%+ of the terrain is tarmac or hardcore? I haven't found a shoe yet that does so now make do with £30 shoes that only last that long

On my 4th pair of Moabs, very comfy, great grip but the uppers crack and come apart at the part between toe box and the main shoe !

The MOAB was my go to till the Solomon Xa pro 3d.

I have one, not my main trail shoe, I use it for everything else, as a Canadian, not a bad snow shoe.

I have wide feet with high instep - been wearing MOAB 2/3 for years and are my everyday shoe