i am a postie so walk alot of miles and i also have horses and dogs so im on my feet all day. i love the merrells in general as they are so comfy from the start, no need to break them in, however, i have owned these trainers for 2 weeks now and today they let rain in the right shoe. i have recently had to swap my gortex siren sports in for these as my sirens were letting water in as well. both are the most comfy trainers i have ever owned but with both pairs, i only wore each a couple of times and both non waterproof and both are gore-tex so i am disappointed.

These shoes have been absolutely great for my work as a countryside ranger. Very comfortable right from the start. The laces did shred completely within 2 months of purchase and now, after only 4 months, the outer sole has worn away in the back corner, letting in moisture and leaving me with a very soggy left foot. Id have expected these shoes to last a lot longer than 4 months, especially with the Vibram soles. I wear them most days for walking, using heavier boots for more heavy-duty work. All in all, I am unimpressed with the quality, and would have expected them to last longer considering their price!

This is a good looking shoe. Very light and soft. I was able to wear them very comfortably within a couple of days, as if they had always been mine. Main problem is that the sole slides on normally wet pavements -- not much use for a walking shoe. Definitely out of the question if the surface is a bit icy or has leaf mould on it. The problem is I am not sure I can take the shoes back after I found this out, because you've worn them outside by then -- will look into my statutory rights on this. Also not enough cushioning in the sole for me to use every day, tho prob OK for most people.

Oh dear, I have more bad news on the build quality of these. They have been very comfy during an 8-mile riverside walk, and as waterproof evening shoes for pootling around town/campsite on our 2 week cycling trip (so lightweight to pack, plus the odd occasion around town since. I was looking forward to hanging up my winter walking boots and using these for trail walking this summer. Unfortunately, a strip of the Vibram layer has torn away from the sole - it looks like a very thin layer is glued to the sole. The soles on my very lightweight Brooks running shoes have survived far more punishment, it's a pity Merrell haven't used similar techniques, especially considering their price.

I am bitterly disappointed that while the shoe is great, the top hook of the laces has worn the laces away. Having contacted Merrell direct it would appear that they do not have any replacement laces whatsoever in Europe. I find this very frustrating as there is nothing wrong with the shoe. If the shoe had been a plainer colour I could've got laces, but most colours of laces I have looked at will not look right with the shoe. I have only had them for 3 months and feel it is a complete waste of my money.