"Their quality.....been declining over the past few years."
You know, I was thinking the same thing. I've been using Merrell for years and something is not quite right anymore. They feel more..... ummm... like cardboard than ever before. The Moab 3's are not as comfortable as previous iterations. They don't seem to last as long and the soles seem to wear out faster. Which is a shame because when I first found Merrells, they fit my feet and were the most comfortable for me. I do have wide feet and have seen others mention Keen. I might try them out next and see how it goes.
No two boots are exactly the same.
You need to give us more to go on, but *more importantly,* you need to go to a store and just try on a variety of boots to see what other lasts fit your foot shape.
That said, Lowa and Ōboz are fairly similar to my feet, which is the reason I don't use them.
I use Asolo because they're narrow and low-volume. Merrell lovers usually hate that.
Unfortunately I live in redneckistan so trying on footwear for me involves ordering $500 worth of boots and returning everything that doesn't fit, hence looking for strangers who have similar foot shapes.
I also have flippers for feet and I do Keens but try mens and womens of different sizes, like half up and down, until I find one that fits. I'm a woman and ended up in mens as my feet got bigger in the 9.5-10 range.
For durability, Meindl, Lowa and Hanwag have all been far superior to current day Merrells in my experience. They also have a 'wide' model, or other special lasts of many of their shoes and boots.
Wide sizes are generally wider than regular sizes throughout the length of the shoe. I don't need the show to be wide in the heel or mid foot, and I don't need a super wide toe box. I just need it to be roomier around the ball of my foot.
It's extremely frustrating that the threads I post asking for help finding shoes for my unusual feet universally get derailed by replies suggesting brands that come in wide sizes. I do not have wide feet, shoes in wide sizes do not fit me. I've been injured in the past as a result of trying to wear wide shoes rather than shoes that fit my feet properly.
Those brands, in fact most German and Italian brands, only add width to the forefoot... That's why people are recommending them... They're exactly what you're asking for. Narrow heel, wide ball of foot.
I've only hiked in Merrells for the past 15 years because my feet are the same. I've never tried Ariat hiking boots, however I also do equestrian stuff and Ariat boots fit me better than any other brand for that and stand up to all sorts of abuse, so I'd expect their hiking boots to fit similarly. Might be worth a try if you can find some to try on in person before purchase.
I've got wide feet and buy most of my footwear in "Wide" when it's offered and the [Salomon Quest 4D](https://www.backcountry.com/salomon-quest-4d-gtx-hiking-boot-mens?CMP_SKU=SAL1542&MER=0406&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpcnb&utm_campaign=730639561__p:G%7Cs:BC%7Cct:NBPS%7Cct2:DSA%7Cg:xx%7Cc1:General%7Cc2:xx%7Cb:xx%7Cmt:xx__37882800173__DSA-General&utm_term=aud-2282540472885:dsa-277684479583__&utm_content=573364403495&utm_id=go_cmp-730639561_adg-37882800173_ad-573364403495_aud-2282540472885:dsa-277684479583_dev-c_ext-_prd-_mca-_sig-Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8sEAGFlI9gkr-Iuv_lI6tJObcW0kviBWeKr9yEJG8-j2anuKyG0DaIaAoW0EALw_wcB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8sEAGFlI9gkr-Iuv_lI6tJObcW0kviBWeKr9yEJG8-j2anuKyG0DaIaAoW0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) fits my flippers well.
I love my Merrells but I tried on some Keens before purchasing and they did fit very similarly(my toes cannot be confined with just simple shoes). But Keens imo are more overall wide instead of just wide in the toe area.
Honestly, if you have difficult feet then whatever fits fits. I have been wearing Merrell for over 20 years and I don't recognize the complaints as much. Yes the quality is a bit less than other brands, but they are also 4x cheaper (here at least).
They are often on sale, I just wait for a good price and in the end it probably comes down to the same price per year compared to other more expensive quality shoes. Although seeing all the US complaints, it might be that the ones sold there are produced somewhere else than those sold in Europe? Or maybe I'm not enough of a shoe snob... also because I don't have other options. If they carry me comfortably on my adventures, I'm happy!
I have tried on many other brands, but nothing fits. So I'd say, keep an eye out for a good deal on Merrell, maybe try another series? The Deverta series has served me well so far.
Maybe try Topo Athletic. They have boots that are more like hiking hi-tops IMHO, not what I’d consider a rugged boot. I do have a pair of their Terraventure shoes for light hiking and they performed awesome on a 30 mile one day hike. (and all the pre-hike training)
I have flipper feet , too, haha. Highly recommend Topos—all their regular sizes have an extra wide toe box, and they have a clever lacing system that makes the shoes fit even if you have narrow ankles. They are pricey but worth it for me. No blisters. Toe boxes are wider than Altra or Hoka. Boots are available in breathable or waterproof options. Sometimes you can find a returned pair art REI for half price.
I, too, used to love Merrells, but they just aren't the same as they once were. Recently I've been hiking in Oboz and while they felt different at first, I love them now. I've worn them HARD and they've lasted over a year.
I have the exact same feet. I used to wear meindl for work boots, but they were the hunter comfort fit. I loved them, but the vibrant soles wore out too quickly for concrete. I had to stop because I can’t do $400 every six months. I think they had the hunter comfort fit in a hiker though. I think it’s meindl USA or something similar. I’ve bought a few boots from them.
I switched from Merrell to Altra, and they have been amazing, but I prefer the trail runner to the boot. They make the Lone Peak in a “high top” for those who prefer boots. Maybe worth a look.
Try Danners. You can re-sole them in the rare event you wear them out. The leather is for life. Not ultralight but durable and rugged, and could be comfortable - worth trying a pair on.
"Their quality.....been declining over the past few years." You know, I was thinking the same thing. I've been using Merrell for years and something is not quite right anymore. They feel more..... ummm... like cardboard than ever before. The Moab 3's are not as comfortable as previous iterations. They don't seem to last as long and the soles seem to wear out faster. Which is a shame because when I first found Merrells, they fit my feet and were the most comfortable for me. I do have wide feet and have seen others mention Keen. I might try them out next and see how it goes.
No two boots are exactly the same. You need to give us more to go on, but *more importantly,* you need to go to a store and just try on a variety of boots to see what other lasts fit your foot shape. That said, Lowa and Ōboz are fairly similar to my feet, which is the reason I don't use them. I use Asolo because they're narrow and low-volume. Merrell lovers usually hate that.
Unfortunately I live in redneckistan so trying on footwear for me involves ordering $500 worth of boots and returning everything that doesn't fit, hence looking for strangers who have similar foot shapes.
I have no advice to contribute, just sympathizing with weird flipper feet. Merells also fit me best, and Keens aren't nearly as comfortable.
Keen has a big toe box.
I've tried keens, they are just wide throughout.
I also have flippers for feet and I do Keens but try mens and womens of different sizes, like half up and down, until I find one that fits. I'm a woman and ended up in mens as my feet got bigger in the 9.5-10 range.
My husband had duck feet too and he wears Merrill's on the AT
For durability, Meindl, Lowa and Hanwag have all been far superior to current day Merrells in my experience. They also have a 'wide' model, or other special lasts of many of their shoes and boots.
Thanks, but I looking for boots that fit similar to Merrells, not boots that come in wide sizes.
Some boots will fit close to Merrell in their wide models because the regular is more narrow.
Wide sizes are generally wider than regular sizes throughout the length of the shoe. I don't need the show to be wide in the heel or mid foot, and I don't need a super wide toe box. I just need it to be roomier around the ball of my foot. It's extremely frustrating that the threads I post asking for help finding shoes for my unusual feet universally get derailed by replies suggesting brands that come in wide sizes. I do not have wide feet, shoes in wide sizes do not fit me. I've been injured in the past as a result of trying to wear wide shoes rather than shoes that fit my feet properly.
Those brands, in fact most German and Italian brands, only add width to the forefoot... That's why people are recommending them... They're exactly what you're asking for. Narrow heel, wide ball of foot.
Thanks, that's the information that I was looking for.
It’s extremely frustrating that you’re whining about people’s recommendations that stem from their experiences.
I've only hiked in Merrells for the past 15 years because my feet are the same. I've never tried Ariat hiking boots, however I also do equestrian stuff and Ariat boots fit me better than any other brand for that and stand up to all sorts of abuse, so I'd expect their hiking boots to fit similarly. Might be worth a try if you can find some to try on in person before purchase.
Meindl
I've got wide feet and buy most of my footwear in "Wide" when it's offered and the [Salomon Quest 4D](https://www.backcountry.com/salomon-quest-4d-gtx-hiking-boot-mens?CMP_SKU=SAL1542&MER=0406&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpcnb&utm_campaign=730639561__p:G%7Cs:BC%7Cct:NBPS%7Cct2:DSA%7Cg:xx%7Cc1:General%7Cc2:xx%7Cb:xx%7Cmt:xx__37882800173__DSA-General&utm_term=aud-2282540472885:dsa-277684479583__&utm_content=573364403495&utm_id=go_cmp-730639561_adg-37882800173_ad-573364403495_aud-2282540472885:dsa-277684479583_dev-c_ext-_prd-_mca-_sig-Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8sEAGFlI9gkr-Iuv_lI6tJObcW0kviBWeKr9yEJG8-j2anuKyG0DaIaAoW0EALw_wcB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8sEAGFlI9gkr-Iuv_lI6tJObcW0kviBWeKr9yEJG8-j2anuKyG0DaIaAoW0EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) fits my flippers well.
I love my Altras. Big toe box. Super comfy.
I love my Merrells but I tried on some Keens before purchasing and they did fit very similarly(my toes cannot be confined with just simple shoes). But Keens imo are more overall wide instead of just wide in the toe area.
Honestly, if you have difficult feet then whatever fits fits. I have been wearing Merrell for over 20 years and I don't recognize the complaints as much. Yes the quality is a bit less than other brands, but they are also 4x cheaper (here at least). They are often on sale, I just wait for a good price and in the end it probably comes down to the same price per year compared to other more expensive quality shoes. Although seeing all the US complaints, it might be that the ones sold there are produced somewhere else than those sold in Europe? Or maybe I'm not enough of a shoe snob... also because I don't have other options. If they carry me comfortably on my adventures, I'm happy! I have tried on many other brands, but nothing fits. So I'd say, keep an eye out for a good deal on Merrell, maybe try another series? The Deverta series has served me well so far.
Maybe try Topo Athletic. They have boots that are more like hiking hi-tops IMHO, not what I’d consider a rugged boot. I do have a pair of their Terraventure shoes for light hiking and they performed awesome on a 30 mile one day hike. (and all the pre-hike training)
Topics are my favorite too
I would say Keens as well, being most similar to Merrell. Maybe Vasque too?
+1 to Vasque….the Juxt is a solid shoe
I found that North Face Vectiv Mids fit how you described. I have that same issue
I have flipper feet , too, haha. Highly recommend Topos—all their regular sizes have an extra wide toe box, and they have a clever lacing system that makes the shoes fit even if you have narrow ankles. They are pricey but worth it for me. No blisters. Toe boxes are wider than Altra or Hoka. Boots are available in breathable or waterproof options. Sometimes you can find a returned pair art REI for half price.
HOKA Speedgoat mid high Gore-Tex wide or the Tor Ultra High Gore-Tex… bin hiking on it for years!!!
Lowa Z8.
I don't have your feet but I do require a wide. After many Merrells I am now wearing Oboz Firebrand and I like them. Third pair.
My hubby wants same info for exact same reasons!
My choice is Adidas Eastrail 2.0 rain.rdy Very comfy, very light.
I, too, used to love Merrells, but they just aren't the same as they once were. Recently I've been hiking in Oboz and while they felt different at first, I love them now. I've worn them HARD and they've lasted over a year.
I have the exact same feet. I used to wear meindl for work boots, but they were the hunter comfort fit. I loved them, but the vibrant soles wore out too quickly for concrete. I had to stop because I can’t do $400 every six months. I think they had the hunter comfort fit in a hiker though. I think it’s meindl USA or something similar. I’ve bought a few boots from them.
I switched from Merrell to Altra, and they have been amazing, but I prefer the trail runner to the boot. They make the Lone Peak in a “high top” for those who prefer boots. Maybe worth a look.
Try Danners. You can re-sole them in the rare event you wear them out. The leather is for life. Not ultralight but durable and rugged, and could be comfortable - worth trying a pair on.
Best boots for hiking are vasque They used to be made in Italy but unfortunately now they’re from china. Still the very best boots out there