This shoe packs in a lot of features, no doubt about it. Thus they take longer to dry out and keep your feet wetter and hotter than you may appreciate.
Because of the GORE-TEX membrane, the shoes are not nearly as breathable as their non-waterproof brethren. The downside of having waterproof shoes is that not only do they do a great job of keeping moisture out, they also excel at keeping it in. As previously mentioned, waterproof shoes can be a benefit when walking on compact snow or through wet areas without major fording or stream crossings. This isn’t all that surprising, as Merrell has released several versions of the Trail Glove with its “full forefoot” feature, although it’s nice to see some of that translate to other models.īeing waterproof is both a positive and negative aspect of these shoes. They aren’t on the level of Altra or Topo in this regard, but there is more space than you would normally find in a Brooks or Nike shoe. In addition to the abovementioned features like tongue-integrated lacing and removable contoured insoles that assist with obtaining a great fit in these shoes, they also have a wider toe box than most trail runners and hiking shoes. However, they’re holding up better than my last pair of Altra Lone Peaks, which also have great grip but wear out extremely fast on this rugged terrain. Of course, there’s always a trade-off between grip and durability, as “stickier” outsoles tend to wear faster. With deep 5 mm lugs and an effective outsole pattern, a slip is exceedingly rare. I was very impressed with their traction. Grip on GraniteĪs previously mentioned, I used these in Acadia National Park where there is a lot of slick granite. Not only will they help prevent direct contact with the elements, but they will also help retain heat to keep your feet warmer. What’s more, having waterproof shoes can be a benefit when hiking or running on compacted snow or on wet (but not overflowing) trails in the shoulder seasons. But I’ll admit that having the ability to walk straight through puddles rather than hop-scotching around them was a nice benefit on shorter hikes. In most cases, I prefer non-waterproof shoes because they breathe better and dry faster. The waterproof GORE-TEX membrane on these shoes worked well, and I was able to submerge my feet almost all the way up to my ankles on numerous occasions without any water seeping in.
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