The latest thin cloth like shoes are cheap... The moab hiking trainers have been my daily work shoe and have been excellent lasting nearly a year of hardcore abuse minimum of 10 hours a day every day of the week... Now we have the gortex mk 3 and the laces are thinner... The gore liner ruins the comfort and they are smaller as are all my latest merrells... Five pairs lately and all are tight fit... The quality has taken a dive and the tread pattern on most designs gives you less rubber on the road... Still the best value but not as cheap as they used to be and not as good... Like you i have had the two rubber types on the sole seperate.... Mostly i get good even wear of all parts rather than failure if single parts..... You can see the value engineering has crep in...... Come on merrell you charge enough...
Thank you for sharing this! Merrell was known for being a reliable hiking boot and shoe source when I was in the military some time ago. It's the main reason I stuck with them after I left. But like you mentioned, quality has certainly taken a dive in the name of saving money. I've been trying out some Puma and Salomon trail running shoes this year. They're extremely durable but the issue is their tight toe boxes for wide feet like mine. Merrells are still more spacious and comfortable compared to them. I can wear a pair all day unlike the Pumas and Salomons. Have you thought about trying out other brands?
@@thefitlifechannel2021 before merrell i used hi tech which would last 6 months and cost a third less than merrell at least... Same thing happed to them they went cheap.... I dont think changing brand is the answer.. Its just that everything is getting more expensive and crap in quality..... Money money money... Selling quality shoes that last is bad for sales... Near enough is good enough...... Solomon are good same quality as merrell tbh... I never bother with merrell unless its got vibram bottom the cheap shoes have never pleased me... Im stood up all day for 8 to 10 hours so comfort and support are paramount.... The new merrell are smaller and tighter on the toes... I need to get size 10 now vs 9.5 i have been in... Im a 9 in every other shoe ive ever brought and not had any tight pairs....
@@roberthopkins8089 It seems like smartphones companies from a few years ago. Perhaps the shoe companies want people to change out their shoes more frequently. Might explain their aggressive marketing on using more recycled materials in their shoes so we don't feel so bad replacing them quicker. I also don't buy or recommend Merrell shoes unless they have a Vibram outsole. I was just surprised at how fast the Vibram outsoles on my Nova 3's wore out.
@@roberthopkins8089 Yes, the Nova 3's were the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn but paid for it with an extremely short performance life. I use them as gym shoes now because of no discomfort from prolonged workouts. Wearing Pumas or Converse feels like walking around with something bolted onto my feet, not being part of the shoes!
Thank you! I greatly appreciate it! I actually had two more Merrell shoes to thrown in this video but would have made it longer. They didn't last very long (around 5-6 months) so I didn't include them. I remember one was a trail shoe and the other for walking/hiking.
The latest thin cloth like shoes are cheap...
The moab hiking trainers have been my daily work shoe and have been excellent lasting nearly a year of hardcore abuse minimum of 10 hours a day every day of the week...
Now we have the gortex mk 3 and the laces are thinner... The gore liner ruins the comfort and they are smaller as are all my latest merrells... Five pairs lately and all are tight fit... The quality has taken a dive and the tread pattern on most designs gives you less rubber on the road...
Still the best value but not as cheap as they used to be and not as good... Like you i have had the two rubber types on the sole seperate.... Mostly i get good even wear of all parts rather than failure if single parts..... You can see the value engineering has crep in...... Come on merrell you charge enough...
Thank you for sharing this! Merrell was known for being a reliable hiking boot and shoe source when I was in the military some time ago. It's the main reason I stuck with them after I left. But like you mentioned, quality has certainly taken a dive in the name of saving money. I've been trying out some Puma and Salomon trail running shoes this year. They're extremely durable but the issue is their tight toe boxes for wide feet like mine. Merrells are still more spacious and comfortable compared to them. I can wear a pair all day unlike the Pumas and Salomons. Have you thought about trying out other brands?
@@thefitlifechannel2021 before merrell i used hi tech which would last 6 months and cost a third less than merrell at least... Same thing happed to them they went cheap.... I dont think changing brand is the answer.. Its just that everything is getting more expensive and crap in quality..... Money money money... Selling quality shoes that last is bad for sales... Near enough is good enough......
Solomon are good same quality as merrell tbh... I never bother with merrell unless its got vibram bottom the cheap shoes have never pleased me... Im stood up all day for 8 to 10 hours so comfort and support are paramount.... The new merrell are smaller and tighter on the toes... I need to get size 10 now vs 9.5 i have been in... Im a 9 in every other shoe ive ever brought and not had any tight pairs....
@@roberthopkins8089 It seems like smartphones companies from a few years ago. Perhaps the shoe companies want people to change out their shoes more frequently. Might explain their aggressive marketing on using more recycled materials in their shoes so we don't feel so bad replacing them quicker. I also don't buy or recommend Merrell shoes unless they have a Vibram outsole. I was just surprised at how fast the Vibram outsoles on my Nova 3's wore out.
@@thefitlifechannel2021 softer material is more comfy and grippy... But just like soft tyres comes at a price... I guess
@@roberthopkins8089 Yes, the Nova 3's were the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn but paid for it with an extremely short performance life. I use them as gym shoes now because of no discomfort from prolonged workouts. Wearing Pumas or Converse feels like walking around with something bolted onto my feet, not being part of the shoes!
Thorough video, well done. I love that rhe cheapest shoes in the line seem to last the longest.
Thank you! I greatly appreciate it! I actually had two more Merrell shoes to thrown in this video but would have made it longer. They didn't last very long (around 5-6 months) so I didn't include them. I remember one was a trail shoe and the other for walking/hiking.