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One Of The World’s Most Extreme Product Tests: Moab 3

Karl Bushby Completes His 28-year, 31,000-mile Walk Home

Karl Bushby walking with his loaded bicycle on the final stretch of his journey home.

Karl Bushby set off from Punta Arenas, Chile over 28 years ago. The British adventurer has now completed his journey, walking up to his mother's front door in Hull, United Kingdom after completing one of the longest unbroken journeys on foot ever attempted.

His homecoming marks the completion of one of the toughest real-world product tests imaginable, with Merrell’s iconic Moab 3 hiker supporting Bushby across thousands of miles and some of the world’s most demanding terrain.

Bushby, a 57-year-old former paratrooper from Hull, United Kingdom had two rules:

  1. He could never use transport to make forward progress
  2. He could not return home until he arrived on foot.
“ Over the next 28 years Bushby covered approximately 31,000 miles across 29 countries.

He walked through the Darién Gap, crossed the frozen Bering Strait from Alaska into Siberia, swam the Caspian Sea and, on 5 October 2026, swam the English Channel to land on Shakespeare Beach near Dover. Today, he arrived in Hull and was welcomed home by his mother, Angela, and his son, Adam.

Karl Bushby welcomed by a crowd of supporters in Hull.
Karl Bushby displaying a well-worn Merrell Moab from his journey.

Bushby first discovered Merrell in 2013 while walking coast to coast across the United States and fighting a Russian visa ban. The Moab soon became his hiking shoe of choice , selected independently for the comfort, durability and versatility he needed to keep moving.

For more than a decade since, Bushby has worn the Moab through some of the world’s toughest conditions, from the Mongolian steppe and Central Asia to the mountains of Turkey and the roads of Europe. Along the way, he pushed both the waterproof and breathable versions to their limits, demonstrating the dependable comfort and durability that have made the Moab a trusted choice on the trail for generations.

The journey didn’t always run smoothly. Over the course of nearly three decades, Bushby was arrested as a spy, detained in Russia, held at gunpoint, had close encounters with polar bears, and stuck in Mexico for a number of years.

“For the first 15 years, my footwear was whatever I could find in the next roadside town. You get what you can find. Then in 2013, walking across America while we fought a Russian visa ban, I tried a pair of Merrells and took an instant liking to them. From then on I sought them out wherever I could,” said Karl.

"Through Central Asia, Europe and all the way home, the Moab was my go-to for its comfort and durability. I’ve taken both the waterproof and the breathable versions to destruction on the road. The possessions you do carry hold significant sentimental value - the shoes were always so dependable."

Karl Bushby walking his bicycle along a residential street on the final miles home.

“Karl’s journey is the kind of product test that no product lab could ever recreate. The fact that he independently chose the Moab, then continued to rely on it for more than a decade, is a powerful testament to its comfort and durability,” said Richard McLeod, Chief Marketing Officer at Merrell. “At Merrell, we believe It Starts Outside, and Karl’s extraordinary journey shows just how far a single step can take us. His determination and resilience are what make this homecoming so remarkable.”

A pair of well-travelled Merrell Moab hiking shoes resting on Karl Bushby’s packed bicycle.

MOAB 3

Proven mile after mile.

The Moab has become an icon of Merrell's hiking collection, trusted by hikers for its out-of-the-box comfort, durability and versatility. First introduced in 2007, the Moab is designed to help people confidently experience the outdoors, from everyday trails to extraordinary journeys like Bushby’s.

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