Merrell MOAB Gen 1 Goretex Shoe, Very Happy Longterm Review

Today we are covering a really, really longterm review of the Merrell MOAB Gen 1 Goretex hiking shoe. I have worn this line of shoes daily for 12 years and still have the first pair and they are an everyday wear shoe. It is amazing the longevity and durability of these shoes. To be honest it is mind boggling. They are the shoe that will not die with reasonable use, and trust me I try. If we aren’t wearing boots we are wearing these shoes, they are great.

I have worn this brand and model of shoe since 2007 and have purchased 4 pair total over the years and only one pair that is truly garbage now. The other three pair will still be serviceable for years at the rate they are going. The have the world famous Vibram sole with Goretex lining and the insole has great arch support for a non specialty insole.

Merrell Moab come in many different configurations from Waterproof to Breathable and from shoe to a midrise hiking boot, Tactical boot and also a special forces combat boot.

Merrell Moab 2 Tactical Boot

 

Merrell Moab 2 Tactical Boot

The only negative about Merrell shoes and it only last a short while is the laces are next to impossible to keep tight for the first couple of days when they are brand new but once they wear in a bit the shoe has no faults.

The Vibram sole has great grip for climbing whether natural surface or man made, stays soft in the cold so they grip on ice and you don’t fall and doesn’t wear out quick on pavement. The sole is also very grippy on wet rocks when crossing streams or hiking up wet surfaces in the winter. How it manages all of this I do not know, it’s like it bends the laws of Physics.

 

 

New shoes, as you can see I tried to tie the laces for the picture and they are already coming loose…

Not broken in yet.

Merrell Moab

The super rugged Vibram soles

Merrell MOAB
Merrell MOAB

The Goretex liner keeps your feet dry which is great in the rain especially if you are wearing your Goretex jacket and pants. For summer time some people prefer the breathable shoe, it’s called the Ventilator line. I wear the Goretex year round, you never know hiking where the ground will be wet. As long as the water isn’t deep enough to come over the top of the shoe you will be dry.

This shoe is also amazingly flexible while still being very supportive. Another issue with most hiking type shoes that they make that are flexible is that the sole will delaminate from the shoe and come off or split apart. Somehow these shoes do not do that, not sure what glues they use but it apparently is working for them.

Here is the first pair from 2007 that are ready for the trash. The only spot where the sole is coming loose is right shoe left side, you can see it in the picture.

The soles are totally finished but still glued on, amazing.

The Moab line now has a new shoe out called the Moab 2. Very similar to the original Gen 1 Moab with a few improvements. Now Merrell is using their own version of Goretex and the call that shoe line DRY, unsure how it will last longterm but they seem good when newer so far. The other change is they have added a longitudinal support to the shoe that goes around the back of the heel to the toe area, this will support and prevent the heel from sacking out..

The Moab 2 that replaced the first generation had a few issues that we did not care for, the new Gen 3 shoes is an absolute winner however. We are glad they fixed the short falls of the Gen 2 shoe.

 

Thanks for reading the Merrell MOAB Gen 1 Goretex Shoe, Very Happy Longterm Review!

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