Customer Reviews Merrell Thermo Cross 2 Mid Waterproof

I bought these for hiking and snowshoeing in Iceland in winter. I needed something warm, waterproof, and with a stiff, heavy sole to hold crampons for a glacier hike. As someone who usually wears minimalist shoes for hiking (Altra Lone Peak Trail Runners) rather than hiking boots, I had a really difficult time finding something comfortable that would meet the crampon requirement. I (literally) tried on 26 boots between Zappos and REI, and these won. Other boots were just too tight through the toe region as I am used to toe room in minimalist, foot-shaped shoes... or the ankles were too stiff and rubbed my bones... or had hard, obtrusive arches, etc - all things that I no longer like since going minimal and I hated them all. Though I almost just settled for the least worst, I decided to try these Merrells which never came up under my previous searches for some reason, and also weren't suggested by my REI rep. These boots were stiff in the sole where needed to hold the crampons, rugged soled for grip on snow and ice, water-proof, and very warm. I hiked daily for 7 days, 7-12 miles/daily, with no foot issues, no cold feet, no wet feet, no blisters, no pain - they were perfect! Like Merrell in general, they required no break-in period. In addition, they ended up being the least expensive of all the ones I tried on, by a significant amount - an unexpected bonus as I expected (and was willing) to pay more as long as I could find something comfortable that met the stiff sole and support requirements. I sized up one whole size from my usual street shoe (half size up from my regular hiking shoes) to accommodate very thick wool socks. I highly recommend them - seriously never thought I'd love a hiking boot again!