REI Monarch IV GTX

I bought these boots used at an REI garage sale for $5. They were in such good condition that if someone put a tag on them they could sell them as new. Whoever bought them originally must have only used them once.

After wearing the same pair of Chippewa boots for the last 6 years, I had high expectations for these "new" boots. And the Chippewas are what I will base my review for these on.

DURABILITY
These REIs are made by Merrell (I think) and while I cannot specifically comment on the durability of these boots (I have only had them about a month), I can comment on the poor quality of other Merrells that I have seen throughout the years. I have been witness to multiple Merrells literally falling apart after only two weeks of heavy trekking throughout Argentina and New Zealand! So buyer beware of that.

After wearing these boots for a few short hikes (halfday)they seem to have held up pretty well. But again I have not had them long enough to rate their durability accurately.

GRIP
This is my major gripe about these boots. I am a geologist and as a result spend a good deal of time on rocks. The grip on rock is appalling. I nearly slipped a half-a-dozen on one hike that involved clambering over slightly damp boulders. I lost all confidence I had in these boots to grip even slightly slippery surfaces. If I recall correctly, this was also a complaint of a reviewer on REI's website.

COMFORT
While relatively comfortable, nothing about these boots stood out enough to justify spending $130 dollars for them new. They are nowhere near as comfortable as my Chippewas or my pair of New Balance trail shoes.

I gave these boots such a low rating because their grip on slick surface was poor and they were merely average in every other aspect. If I had spent that much money on them I would be very angry and disappointed. Compared to my Chippewas, which were