Customer Reviews Merrell Phaserbound 2 Tall Waterproof

I've bought Merrell boots since 2011 for a trek in Bhutan. Loved them! Subsequently, I've purchased other boots, trail runners, and casual shoes over time. Bought this Phaserbound boots about 3 years ago. Unfortunately, my heels slips during steep terrain - still. Can't tighten the laces tight enough without losing circulation. Not sure if it's the cushioning in the boot, it does seem more than the other shoes I've owned. I do love the height and ankle support. At time of purchase, there weren't any reviews.

I do fieldwork for a living and was looking for a sturdy, durable replacement boot that would last the rest of the season, and unfortunately this is not it. My previous works boots finally had it, and I saw these boots and figured I try out a different brand. These were made for backpacking and I thought they would be up to the task. I am normally 6 1/2 to 7 and ended up feeling good in the size 7. It has taken quite a while to break the boots in since they are a bit more rigid and hefty, but I never found them comfortable. I've had the boots for about three months now and unfortunately, I can't stand to wear them any longer. I can feel the rigid heel no matter what kind of socks I wear and have gotten terrible heel blisters. The only way I could wear them is with blister cushions. They are not as durable as I would have liked to see, I did wear them for work, which does consists of up to 14 miles a day on rocky, uneven terrain, and have noticed the seams giving out sooner that I would have liked. The black rubber toe cap of the boots lifted up about a month in, and the stitched seams near the front of the boot have ripped on both boots. I do have to say the traction of these boots is great and I never did roll an ankle! I had high hope for these boots, but can't stand them any longer and will be going back to my previous boot brand. Maybe these would be okay for occasional longer hikes, but I wouldn't recommend them.

I've been wearing Merrells for years, and I've always been comfortable in a size 8.5. I ordered these boots because I wanted something a little taller than what I normally wear. They seem sturdy, but unfortunately I think they're cut a little larger than usual because my foot moves around too much, especially in the heel. Even with inserts and the laces tight, my heel still slips. I've already worn them on a hike (didn't notice the slipping when I tried them out on a flat surface), so I'm stuck with them and I'll try to make them work, but I'm disappointed.

I've always been an 8.5 with Merrell, but these feel a little more roomy than normal. Even with the laces tight and an insert my foot was sliding around more than it should have. Of course, I didn't realize this was a problem until I took them for a hike, so I'm stuck with them. Maybe with a little more padding inside they'll be okay. They're a nice-looking boot and they feel pretty sturdy.

These boots are pretty restrictive in the toe area and fell apart pretty quickly. I work in them on a trail crew and the seams ripped after about five weeks of wearing them about 40+ hours per week. The grip on the boots were good, but overall I wouldn't recommend them if you are going to be wearing them all the time.

Got these early summer 2019, tried to break them in but didn't feel they were ready for my major hike that summer so I used my old boots. Fast forward to this summer and I felt they should be broken in at this point. Oh man was I wrong. These boots absolutely shredded my heel/ankle area within the first 10 Km's of a 18 km hike in to camp. I'm not talking a couple little blisters, I ended up with 2 inch wide by 2 inch tall multi layered blisters on each ankle. One of which has a gouge along the centre of the blister as well. This does not include the other small blisters along the edge of the insole. I attempted different lacing and sock weights throughout with no relief. The only way I was able to hike the 18 km's/ 1300m gain out was to hike with them completely untied. As for the waterproof/breathability, if your feet sweat at all don't bother with these. On cooler days it wasn't bad but anything over 10 degrees Celsius and your sock will be overly damp within 30 minutes. The only positive point I have to say about these boots are that the toe box was a decent size and my toes were spared of any damage.