Merrell Men's Pulsate Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot

I've been wearing everything from Merrill shoes, sandals, and boots for eight years. I was a consistent size 8 to 8.5. I bought a pair of these for under $70 on a "Black Fri" sale was was stoked to get a new pair for the Farm here in the Aussie Jungle where boots like this are daily wear due to the terrain, vegetation, and 'things' you can inadvertently step on; so it's hard to complain about a quality boot at that price.When they arrived from US, right off the bat, they looked a bit small. i was wearing my usual thick socks (as they keep foot sweat at bay better than thin ones even in tropical heat) and they disappointingly felt too small at the toe-box. I wore them for two days and they did stretch a bit. I finally 'fixed' the situation by swapping the foot cushion inserts i had from a previous pair I had worn for three years and had naturally compressed a few mm. so with the old inserts, the height/thickness was about 50% less. Well, this took care of the problem of them being 1/2 size too small.I am always incredulous why "international" shoe companies CANNOT standardise on a friggin' size! What could be so hard?Otherwise, they are a really good looking boot, with great support and now nice comfort. the tread is aggressive and support is really good too. I really like Merrills and was not ready to write them off as a potential choice for protective footwear but they really need to look closely at their sizing if they are going to use multiple overseas factories and want to remain as a premium brand.I think ordering 1/2 size larger or perhaps a wider width will solve your problem.

These do make my feet sweat being water proof but I'm fine with that tradeoff. That is the tradeoff with any boot. Also the toe protection is good and I'm happy about the room my toes have in them. The sides offer protection but if you slide your foot into a pointy rock, you'll be feeling it. That is also a tradeoff with this type of boot versus a stiffer full leather type so I'm fine with it.I think I would invest in a stiffer type of boot if I were to go backpacking but for day hikes, these are great and comfortable and they might be fine for backpacking as well. I've gone on three hikes over 16 miles with them plus numerous shorter hikes since purchasing them so know for certain that these offer all day comfort. Obviously you'll want a good pair of wool socks like Red Head as you would for any hiking shoe.The traction on dry ground, even the steep with loose gravel type of trails is very good, great even. I'm very happy with them on climbing peaks for example. On wet rocks however, these have shockingly bad traction, shocking because they are so good on dry rocks. That was the reason for taking one star off.The soles no longer look new as they have worn down some but overall holding up well. I'm guessing they won't last much past a year but they also will have a few hundred miles on them so that's not bad.Overall a very good shoe for the money.

The design of these are problematic in several ways. I just spent a couple of weeks hiking daily in central Texas hill country- lots of loose limestone rocks, humus ground cover in places, but a LOT of uphill/downhill carrying load. Kept expecting them to get better, but no. I've discovered blisters on the sides of my great toes, something I don't think I've ever had before. I tried skinny compression socks, thick Thorlo softies, and both at the same time, also two layers of compression socks. The fit/length inside is good, I haven't had "toe-jam" when hiking downhill under loads. But the collar is too thin - I routinely find there is a ring of dirt and grunge on my socks just below the collar, with debris - small twigs, grasses, small pebbles, etc., such that every hour or so I have to stop and take them off, clean the grunge off the socks, and empty the grit that's grinding into the balls of my feet. (see attached photo) Happens with both boots. I think there should be a slightly fatter collar, or the design for the laces enhanced. I know they saved me from at least one broken ankle (still ended up with a large bruise and strained ligaments from getting foot trapped between emplaced boulders), and the tread is a solid gripper. But I would not buy these again. It may be they come "somewhat large", but the feel when I first got them was a "as expected" fit/feeling. I maybe should have bought a slightly smaller size. Hard to tell.

I never owned a set of Merrell footwear but the price point and reviews made these seem like a good choice for a summer weight waterproof boot. I have owned just about every brand and I have to admit these are now one of my favorite brands. Supremely comfortable. Initially I thought that they fit a little tight but after wearing them around the house for two days they conformed wonderfully. In Keen and other brands, I wear an 11 1/2 US size and ordered these Merell Pulsates in 11 1/2 and with minimal break in, found them lightweight and comfortable. Really lightweight and comfortable almost like shoes. I also liked the fact that they were waterproof and breathable - which surpsingly is hard to find in footwear, especially for hot summer temperatures. I use them all the time for camping and working. Functional for the outdoors, yet fancy enough for the town or office. Tread design is functional and sure but doesn't hold mud too bad. I'm used to a little higher boot for working outdoors but these worked well. I used them for almost two weeks straight in 90+ degree temps and daily thunderstorms and they performed great in watproofing and about as breathable as a waterproof boot can be. Can't find any flaws and I've worn them for a couple of months now.

Been wearing these to walk to work in the snow for 2years now. They're still in great shape and keep my feet warmer and drier than my leather docs. My only complaint is that they were really stiff to start with and took a while to get worked in.

good for winter wear. good aggressive tread for snow, rubber sole doesn't go rock-solid in cold weather.

I've used these boots about a dozen times now and still can't say for sure that I like them- or not.They have been through mud and standing water, wet grass and along the beach, so far my feet have been dry and warm.However, getting them comfortable is not easy. They are certainly not very flexible, feeling like very stiff cardboard when I first looked them over. I've used fabric and leather boots and all leather boots before and nothing has taken as long to wear in as these have.Even now I have to frequently adjust the laces during the first 30 mins of putting them on. One boot presses down on a tendon across the top of my foot the other boots is either too tight or too loose. Having said that once I've got the right I'm good to walk all day without any discomfort. The removable insoles are amongst the most comfortable I've experienced.Now if I can just get them right straight off I'll be happy and look forward to putting them on- and will maybe increase my rating of them.Update:Around 500 miles later I'm feeling more generous and willing to up my rating to 4 stars. I think these boots are now broken in and performing well. I can get them comfortable from the off and they remain so all day. 14 miles is as far as I've done at any one time over the South Downs which can be very rough. flinty tracks as well as very wet long grass and of course plenty of mud too. I've had dry comfy feet all the time which is a real treat compared to some boots I've had. I'll even go as far as to say I'd buy them again- if I could get them for £44 again.

Only had these for a few days but they are impressive in quality and strength. These are my second pair of Merrells and as with the first pair it is advisable to go for a size or two bigger than your normal size I am normally a size 8.5 UK and the 9.5 Pulsate is spot on.They are very comfortable straight out of the box and I got them at a really good price for such a quality boot

I did a considerable amount of research into the type of boots I wanted to buy. In particular I wanted a gusseted tongue, which the advertising suggested was provided on these boots. On arrival, however, the gusset only comes up half way. Also the fit, which is a mens size 7, is slightly tight on my feminine feet. If you wear thick socks, it may be wise to go up a size.