Close to really good - Merrell Moab Polar Waterproof Hiking Boot - Men's

I have owned a pair of Moab Mid Ventilators for a while now and have really enjoyed them. I was hopeful that Merrell's winter version of this boot would fit me as comfortably as the lightweight 3-season hikers have.

They are close, but not quite there. I have flat, wide feet. On my first 5.5 mile hike with the Moab Polar boots, I got a blister mid-foot on the inside arch of the right foot. I think these boots are either a bit narrower, or have a slightly more pronounced arch which caused rubbing leading to the blister.

To remedy this, I added a cheap pair of insoles to the boots to raise my foot up a bit higher. This seemed to remedy the blister problem on my subsequent 7 mile hike.

I also found that I have to watch the position of the tongue when lacing up the boot. Otherwise, the edge of the tongue can get pressed against the ball of the ankle, causing discomfort.

On the plus side, a small "D" ring at the front of the boot makes it easy to attach gaiters and is a nice improvement over clipping the front of the gaiter to the first set of laces.

I am hoping that these will get more comfortable as they are broken in.

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.