Customer Reviews

Merrell Men's Phaser Peak Waterproof Hiking Boots - Dark Brown 11

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My son and I purchased these boots in 2005 and wore them everyday at the Boy Scout National Jamboree. They were kind of expensive but we needed waterproof boots to be worn everyday, all day at the Jamboree. They are extremely comfortable. Like the other reviewer, ours sat for a while in the basement and are worn only once or twice a year when needed for different scouting campouts and hikes. We got ours for just over $100 at the time. My son loves these boots and I also think they were a good investment. Over 3 years later and they still look great and are very comfortable.

I've only had these for 3 days. I bought these in an emergency (snow storm) from a local shoe store, and paid way too much. Having worn only sneakers for the past several years, these boots took some getting used to.

Pros:
-Very stable. I think my knees aren't hurting as bad since I've been wearing them.
-Removable insole (accommodates my orthotic inserts
-Good at keeping feet dry through snow, slush, and puddles
-Don't make my feet look huge

Cons:
-Although waterproof, they're not really any warmer than my sneakers. Of course, they're not marketed as winter boots, so I'm not complaining so much as just giving a heads-up to others.
-Price: They're kind of pricey for glued-sole shoes. I'd have felt better about the price if the shoes were sewn.
-Condensation? After I wear these, when I take the insoles out to air the boots, I find water droplets inside the boot. My feet are dry, but the inside of the boot is not.

I have owned two pairs of these boots and about to buy a third. I had to replace the first pair because the waterproofing stopped waterproofing after a couple of years this second pair is about the same. Other than that they have held up to moderate to heavy use and are one of the most comfortable boots once they are broke in. I'm buying my third as soon as I can a good deal.

I am a geologist and have owned a lot of boots in my career for work and pleasure. My first pair were leather hard shell "berg shue" I purchased in Germany. A lot of other boots died along the trail. I purchased a pair of Merrell's prior to a trip to Yellowstone and the Teton's 4 years ago. After the trip they sat in my closet until this weekend. I backpacked into the wilderness area of Enchanted Rock in Texas. BOTH soles detached the evening of the first day. I was leary of the injection molded construction process they use on most of their boots in place of the Norwegian welt stitching. My opinion was justified. On inspecting the first blown out boot, I found that the adhesive/rubber bonding compound afixing the vibram soles had just disentegrated into a gummy dry powder that you could rubb off with your finger. This is common of untried compounds. I had the same thing happen to the foam suspension ring on a pair of high dollar Infinity speakers too. DO NOT Purchase any Merrell boots with the non-stitched sole unless you want to throw them away after a year. We are apparently in the age of the disposable running shoe/boot. Boots should last a lifetime and be resoleable. If the welt isn't stitched don't touch it. I doubt if any of their high tech looking boots which look more like running shoes anyway, are resolable. I am in the process of trying to get redress, but I am sure any warranty has expired.

These Merrell Phasers worked for me straight out of the box without a breaking in period. I'd read other reviews of these boots, on other sites, and some US military personnel have used these boots in Afghanistan. I thought that if they were good enough for them then they'd be good enough for me.
These boots are a good lightweight boot that offers support for walkers who need more than a walking shoe. I've found that they are suited to a variety of terrain, from urban to bush walking. Although they are waterproof I wondered how they would perform in the Australian summer heat but they've been fine. The boots offer sufficient breathing to dissipate heat and moisture. The soles have superior grip over the earlier `Octogrip' models. My only criticism is that the laces are too short.
I've been using Merrells since coming across them seven years ago, when I lived in the UK - where they coped with the wet weather, and I find them very well suited to my feet. I haven't found this model on sale in Perth, Western Australia and I was pleased I found them on offer from the US. Delivery came two days into the specified delivery window. My only regret is that I didn't buy three pairs.
Bob Cains, Perth WA

I discovered Merrell many years ago --back when it was its own company. The shoes then had spring in the soles and a very different last. The arch was a perfect fit for my foot. Well then they sold out to Wolverine. The foot bed is completely dead, the rubber construction is sloppy. There is glue on the seams, the arch is non-existent. Its a shame that someone in a large corporation is making decisions to shave a few bucks off construction leaving the consumer with a mere shadow of the former product. The other shoes in the Merrell line have become almost cheap Chinese knock offs. Pitiful and pathetic, I am forced to abandon Merrell completely.

Be careful of the size when ordering. I think they run about 1/4 size too small so if you wear a 10 you should probably go 10 1/2 and so on. The toe room is quite crampped which sux for backpacking long distance. I have backpacked many miles in these and I just feel they are not that great when it comes to support, wicking, and weight. They are not cold weather boots so if you are hiking in Spring, Summer, Fall then you should probably just go with a Gore Tex boot because these are not exactly light.

I've been doing fairly serious hiking in an old pair of Vans for a long time (no kidding). I just got these before a good long trip of serious hiking in Turkey, much of it on steep, slippy, sandy rock, and I cannot tell you how comfortable I was. They just feel rock solid - and fairly lightweight considering.

I had done a lot of research online about which pair to buy. I had tried on the "Col Mid" in a store in size 12; my gamble that this in a 12 would fit exactly the same paid off. The company rates these as "backpacking grade", and I think they are about as light as the ones in that category come. I did not feel fatigue from the weight, nor did I wish for something with more ventilation, despite the ~30°C weather.

Quite happy with these.

I've been doing fairly serious hiking in an old pair of Vans for a long time (no kidding). I just got these before a good long trip of serious hiking in Turkey, much of it on steep, slippy, sandy rock, and I cannot tell you how comfortable I was. They just feel rock solid - and fairly lightweight considering.

I had done a lot of research online about which pair to buy. I had tried on the "Col Mid" in a store in size 12; my gamble that this in a 12 would fit exactly the same paid off. The company rates these as "backpacking grade", and I think they are about as light as the ones in that category come. I did not feel fatigue from the weight, nor did I wish for something with more ventilation, despite the ~30°C weather.

Quite happy with these.

Shoes fit great and arrived on time. I'm on my feet all day in these in rough terrain and have had no issues with the fit or comfort.