Customer Reviews Merrell Moab 3

Comfortable out of the box. But best of all, they align your feet and thus your legs and hips so that your posture is improved and your balance. Important to me since I am over 70. This pair replaced some very old broken down Moabs. Will get another pair.

I've been mourning my older Merrells that are worn out and not made the same anymore. I almost cried when I packed up these Moab 3s for return. My feet tried so hard to love them like I used to. But the squarish heel did not feel good under my heels and the horribly hard insert is unbearable. Merrell used to put Ortholite inserts in these styles, and I still have an 11 yr old one in my bike shoes, which still feels good. Also, the exaggerated arch doesn't feel natural at all and hits too far back now. The biggest flaw Merrell has is not making these with the Q Form, as in the old days. Only things still good about the Moab is outsole grip, mesh for hotter months and offering the Wide width. But walking comfort is gone for me, can't even tell there are air cells in the bottom.

Shoes are comfortable and fit well. Shipping was fast and they arrived more quickly than estimated. I didn't drop the score because of this as maybe it is known in the hiking shoe circles, but these shoes are terrible on ice. I am sure the sole will have a long life shredding trails, but it provides no traction on ice and is actually worse than my old runners with the tread worn off.

Thrilled the way these Moab's fit and feel. I usually wear an 8 1/2 Regular width, but when it comes to hiking shoes I go up a half size to a 9 W. I bought these to replace my old Moab's that were ankle height and too narrow. These new Moab's made walking and hiking much more pleasurable.

Took these on my first trip to Alaska, and they worked great whether we were on a whale watching boat or hiking a glacier. Won't ever go back without them!

Bottom line up front: To be as comfrotable as the moab 2, Merrel needs to move back to the Moab 2's insole (Kinetic Fit Advanced Footbed) and slightly soften the mid sole. Pros of the Moab 3: It's a good boot that's supportive and fits well. It's grippy and relatively light for a hiking boot. Cons of the Moab 3: -> The insole is much worse in the Moab 3 than in the Moab 2. The 2 had a pressed and perforated EVA insole that was very responsive and stayed springy for years of use. The 3 has a blue metatarsal pad which is inlayed into the insole. This portion of the insole is very, very unresponsive and lacks the same amount of cushion and responsiveness as the 2's forefoot insole. After a single day of use, the blue areas on the insole are flat and have no spring. The result is a fit that feels like i'm walking on a hard surface. In my attached images, I've applied roughly the same pressure to the front of the insert to demonstrate how the Moab 3's insert is very flimsy at the forefoot. The older insole is much more sturdy and spongey in the same area. You can purchase the same kinetic fit insoles as the Moab 2's for extra, but only in whole sizes :( -> The midsole is stiffer than the Moab 2, and this contributes to the pressure at the heel and the forefoot. Both of these means the forefoot experiences a ton more pressure and feels much stiffer and less comfortable after walking out of the store. It's more uncomfortable to stand for hours or walk for miles, and it feels like I'm closer to injury at any given point than with the Moab 2.