I bought these three months ago for light walking and some running. Initially I was delighted, but the longer I wear them the less I like them.
Positives:
- Yes, they are light, a bit like a cross between a boot and a trainer, which is exactly what I was looking for.
- There was no breaking in, they were very nice and soft from the start.
Negatives:
- The lacing: The quick-lacing system means that it's not possible to adjust the laces to lighten pressure on individual lace points. The system relies on very thin laces, which loops through some hard, small cleats. Presumably the quick-pull mechanism only works by having a comparatively small number of cleats. This results in a lot of pressure exerted on individual cleats. On my feet, this has started causing almost unbearable pressure pain on top of the foot from one of the cleats. I have overcome this to SOME extent by cutting the lace at the top (thereby removing the quick-pull function) and re-lacing them to include a couple of extra turns before and after the painful cleat. But it’s still uncomfortable. The thin laces are also so thin they cut in to the hand when pulling – another disadvantage of this stupid system.
Not waterproof: To start with, I didn’t wear them in wet conditions, so this didn’t become apparent. Recently, I have been walking through wet grass (note – not even rain!) – and my socks have been getting wet in spots! This is just rubbish!
The fit: They really are too wide for my feet (and slightly too short). I should never have bought them, but somehow this has become more pronounced the longer I have worn them.
Conclusion:
I’m really disappointed by these, especially the quick-lacing system which has absolutely zero advantages compared to standard lacing, only disadvantages. The cleats are seriously uncomfortable. And they are not waterproof at all!
Back to Merrell for my next light boots!