Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Updated after 100 miles of hiking with shoe... I'm a long-time Merrell Moab wearer and SoCal hike leader. Wish I had better things to say about my new Moab 2s. The good: more prominent arch than the original Moabs, similar fit otherwise, still good lateral support mid-shoe forward, nearly identical tread design, and great price. The bad: they have changed the lacing geometry, eliminated one set of lace holes, and intentionally or unintentionally increased the size of the shoe opening. As a result, I cannot get the shoe to close up around my foot, even trying different lacing patterns. The shoe remains loose, even when tightly laced, and mid-shoe back lateral stability is greatly reduced compared with the original Moabs. The ugly: Two things. First, I am getting a persistent pinch near top of the laces. Started on the right shoe, but now it is on both shoes. Different lacings, multiple tongue adjustments, lots of break-in, and the pinch is still there. Will go away if I relax the lacing, but then the shoes no longer have enough stability for safe hiking. Believe this problem results from the altered lacing geometry and/or inadequate foam padding in the shoe tongue. Second, the terry-cloth liner surrounding the shoe opening began to blister on both shoes after less than 100 miles and, suffice it to say, this is not getting better with added time and use. Overall, as a long-time Merrell customer, I am not happy with either the Moab 2s or Merrell. I ordered a replacement pair of original Moabs, since I am weeks away from heading to the Sierras for the summer and don't have time to begin exploring a new long-term shoe. But I will when I get back. Debating sending the folks at Merrell a note, but frankly, not feeling good about a company that would let a product like this go to market. In any case, I would strongly recommend against using these shoes for hiking, based on my experience with them.