Merrell Pulse II

I got these boots on sale at REI and loved the fit, but sadly, they failed me after only ONE season of hiking.

All those cute little holes may make a nice fashion statement, but they are too susceptible to rock cuts. Once the outer layer was compromised, an apparent flaw in the stitching of the next layer had enough room to come apart, and the side blew out of my lovely, comfy boots, rendering them useless.

REI will refund or credit (even though they are off Merrell's warranty), but new boots are SO much more expensive that I'll still be paying for boots again this year when I feel I should have gotten at least 4 seasons from this pair of boots with the type of hiking I do. (Previous pairs of all-leather Merrell's and nubuck Montrails have lasted me around 10 years.)

I have just replaced this pair after about 4 years. They have lasted forever, the soles are the best part, in my opinion. There are so many layers of tread that they keep there grip even after circumnavigating the globe a couple times. They are very comfortable and supportive for me.

I only have two complaints, one is that they are not particularly attractive, especially after a lot of hiking use. This leads to the second complaint, the uppers have so many layers, stitching and holes that mud really gets stuck on them and it takes some decent effort to get them clean.

the three pairs i ordered and received were not the size i chose.. the three pairs i got were marked size 12 but i measured them and they were a size 13 instead.. lucky for me because i have a big foot and need that extra size 13 boost for comfort and support... just keep in mind they might run a size large on ocassion.. overall great shoe and very comfortable.

These shoes were the best pick for me because they fit really well. Merrell has a really great selection of shoes even though they don't make the style anymore. They are 100% comfortable.