I am a big Merrell fan. I have several pairs for different seasons. I needed a good rough winter hiking boot so I purchased these. They were great for the first two hikes but on the third one...I was 7 miles in with 10 deg F and snow on the ground when one the "rugged" outer shells splits wide open! Very disappointed with cold wet feet.

I bought these boots about 6 months ago. I do not hike nor backpack. They on average worn once a week. I used them for when it snowed or rained basically. Otherwise I am tennis shoe kind of guy. I loved the way the looked and heard so much about the Merrrel Name. For the first 4 months these were really nice and fit well. Keep my foot dry and warm and decently comfortable for a boot. Recently I got them out and wore them about 3 weeks ago and found the sole is seperating on the inside of my left shoe. It started about 2 inches or so and I just checked now after I wore them today (since we had rain) and its close to 6 or 7 inches. They never made it to winter so I could use them. I give them a 5 for looks, 3.5 for comfort, and 1 or 2 for durability. Also they are awesome for gripping. I have heard so much about Merrel from a few of my buddies and this has been my first experience and not so sure their will be a second. Now I have to go and look for a new pair of boots around Christmas time; an unwanted expense around this time of year. Oh well that's been my experience with these boots. Hope this helps. Jeremy Cincinnati, Ohio

I bought these boots because they looked nice and super waterproof. I've had them for a year now and I love them. Wear them anytime I go outdoors. I take my dog swimming a lot and these allow me to walk straight into the more shallow parts of the water. I'm going to treat myself to another pair of Merrell boots for my birthday this year.

I am very satisfied with these boots. I've had a pair for 2.5 years, and used them as daily footwear for the last 1.5 years. They've been used for hiking and backpacking in all seasons, snowshoeing, yard work, and construction work. They also make excellent laboratory shoes (waterproof TPU), so long as you don't make a habit out of pouring large quantities of nonpolar solvents on your feet. These boots are very comfortable, very waterproof, and offer great support. If you wear a good pair of gaiters over your socks (underneath pants), the only two circumstances where you'll find your feet wet at the end of a hike are in sweltering heat or if you have to ford a river. If you do get water or snow in your boots, your feet will stay warm or warm back up very quickly, even without wool socks. I also found them to be generally comfortable in hot summer weather, despite their ability to retain heat in winter. The insoles are easily removable, and most of the internal lining can be flipped inside out and washed. Makes the boots very easy to clean, and everything fits back together nicely. The treads are fabulous. The Vibram material never seems to wear, and they solidly grip anything short of river rock, slick wet wood, and greased children's play equipment. They are especially useful in winter situations with packed snow and ice where you might not want snowshoes. Even without crampons, the tread design will grip pretty much anything but smooth sloped ice. I've used them to hike comfortably for miles with a ~60-pound pack, and stood or walked around for nearly 12 hours in lab before my feet began to feel sore. The grooved top at the forefoot makes striding more comfortable in a fairly rigid shell, but that's also where the first material failure appeared. After about two years of use, I noticed a strange squeaking sound coming from my right boot during a stride. After some investigation, I turned up a tiny hole at the edge of the first groove where the material had been pinching and slowly deteriorating. It has since progressed to the entire groove across the front of the boot, exposing the inner lining. This might be attributable to the boot being slightly too large for that foot, but that size felt most comfortable at the time of purchase. The other boot does not share this problem, but part of the leather upper near the front lace anchors has separated and also exposed the inner lining. These have both compromised the water-tightness of the boots, but they are still great for most activities. It was also around this time that I finally wore through the first layer of material of the insole on the heel and big toe of both boots. A few months later, and now a small tear has developed in the interior of one of the boots at the contact point with the back of my heel. I plan to wear these boots to oblivion, and to probably acquire a new pair next year exclusively for snow trekking. Boot Qualities: Warm Resilient Nice Tread Comfortable Water-proof Lifetime Breakdown: Few Months of Use - slight loss of general comfort in padding One Year - slight loss of warmth Two Years - outer shell cracks, exterior stitching separates, sole insert and heel develop holes from wear Forty Years - tread begins to show signs of wear after use as a sandal for two decades

These are the best boots I have ever owned. After 3 years its time for a new pair. The boot itself still looks great however, the eyelets on the lower part of the boot are made out of a canvas material and after 3 years of getting wet and then drying out the material has rotted and torn so I can't tie them anymore. I was hoping they would have changed the eyelets by now but they are still the same. Still a great boot I hope the next pair lasts as long.