I purchased these boots for my first round trip, rim-to-rim excursion in the Grand Canyon. While I've yet to make the trek (our trip begins next week), I bought these well ahead of time in order to begin using them and getting them broken in for what's sure to be a challenging week of hiking. The boots, to my pleasant surprise, needed very little "breaking in". They were 100% comfortable when I put them on, and hiking in them has been wonderful. I leaned towards these boots after chatting with a Merrell rep, who suggested because of my size (6'5", 300lbs.) and the weight of my pack (over 20 lbs.) that I consider these for their superior support and cushioning. 100% right suggestion, as they have held me up well and I've had very little, if any pain in my feet related to my training, which have exceeded 10 mile hikes. These boots come shipped read-to-wear. No need to waterproof, no need to break in. Just put them on and enjoy the great outdoors. I will most definitely buy another pair of these boots once I wear these out, which, due to their high quality, is likely to be YEARS from now.
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