Merrell Men's All Out Blaze Sieve Low Rise Hiking Shoes

I really like this shoe, even though it absolutely shredded the 4th and 5th toes of both feet. But I think I'm to blame more than the shoes because I probably had unreasonable expectations of the shoe and also what punishment "unhardened" feet could take. Let me explain:I usually walk most long-distance hikes in shoes. I hate boots, particularly full-height boots. They make my feet sweat and they get wet inside anyway, but are more difficult to dry out. I don't need ankle support as I am an experienced walker and "never" (!!) have issues with ankle strain, no matter what terrain I walk over.I have had good success with fully ventilated trail runners, even in rough terrain, over long distance and in very wet conditions. I used Tough Mudders to walk the Outer Hebrides in Spring (peat bogs!).So I figured that as it was full summer in the UK, I could try walking in super-ventilated sandals when walking the Pennine Way. I'd walk in Merrell Blaze walking sandals. WRONG!!!I do an average of 20 miles per day and my max was 28 miles on the PW. I carry a full load for backpacking and wild camping (about 8 - 9Kg). So what happened to make my feet get shredded?Firstly, the fit - I take a size 11 and ordered a size 11. The reason being that there is no adjustment on the heel strap at the back, which is elasticated. The last thing I wanted was my heel flapping about up and down against a loose heel strap. With good quality thin synthetic sports socks this worked fine, but when going downhill, or when the feet were getting a LOT of frictional stress when walking over the peat bogs of the PW, the toe box was very unforgiving. There is little or no padding for the feet and a thicker sock, or 2 pairs of socks won't do if walking over longer distances like I was. The frictional forces on the 4th and 5th toes in the lateral part of the toe box, also the ball of the feet under the 1st & 2nd metatarsal heads were immense and although my heels were ok, my toes and forefoot were shredded after a couple of days.The ventilation was great! Wet feet all the way, but the shoes dried really quickly. The shoes are fairly light as walking shoes go (about 690g I think), but there isn't much cushioning on the upper sole and not much grip on the outer sole.I love the lace system, which is super-quick. Stones, gravel, grit and twigs were a bit of an issue, so over certain types of terrain this is a problem. Gaiters won't get around this problem.So, I guess it was stupid of me to attempt 268 miles in these. Although it felt great at first, the problems soon appeared and I knew I had to meet my "Trail Angel" (AKA my wife) to meet me for a rest day and bring other footwear for me to complete the hike. I swapped out to Merrell Cham 7 Slams at day 5, by which time my feet were shredded, but a size 12 Slam, with good arch support and plenty of padding really gave my feet a holiday - until my heels started to rub due to a completely daft and unnecessary plastic "band" that Merrell have put around the back of the heel on the Cham 7 Slams, which I very nearly cut off before I completed the PW. My toes were fine in the Cham 7 Slams, but not the heels! Glad to finish after 13 days on the trail, with pretty much continuously painful feet!So - will I throw away the Merrell Blaze sandals? No, absolutely not. They are a great pair of summer shoes that can be worn at leisure with or without socks, provided no serious long-distance trekking is contemplated. So, they will go on dog walks, they will go on holiday, they are much better than flip-flops and I can drive the car in these Merrells. They are great, but not for serious long-distance walking. I tried an experiment, but it didn't work and it was naive of me to expect they would be ok on England's toughest long distance walk.In summary, I love 'em, even though they beat me up a bit. I can't stand "Jesus booties" worn in hot weather, whereas these look good, they fit well and they are what I'm going to wear on holiday and generally in hot weather.

These shoes are fabulous - my husband's second pair - the first only discarded because they were faded and scruffy, not actually worn out. His previous pair were bought in a shop on holiday and the seller said that Merrell didn't do half sizes so he had to endure a pair half a size too big until I saw these on Amazon. Turns out they do do half sizes after all and the seller in the shop probably didn't have the correct size in stock and was eager for a sale! These are a much better fit and look much nicer without a big gaping space at the back where his heel should have been!First of all, the base is made from a thick nylon material, supported with a flexible rubber-like material across the instep and oiled leather on the upper part for durability and stability. The whole shoe is like a comfortable, supportive sock with a neat bungee fastening - to lace tying to bother about! There are cut-outs along the sole which allow for water to drain away or if you aren't using them as water shoes, for the air to get in and sweat to get out and a padded heel 'strap' rather than a fully covered heel which make them immediately wearable without the need for any 'treading-in'.If you have problems with sweating, blisters or chafing whilst walking, these are for you. The sole is of a shock absorbing, water-suitable material and very, very durable. My husband's old pair were worn every weekend and for walking holidays on very rough, stony ground and the soles had hardly a mark on them. As I said before, he couldn't get the right size in the shop, plus, the shoes were sun-bleached and shabby - that's the only reason he got some more. I'd say they'd last, for leisure use, a good three to four years at least, it not more, depending on how hard you use them.The only thing I'd say against them is this: If you are rock-climbing or traversing very unstable ground, such as slate or scree, they would probably slip off. I have the same shoes and once, when my proper walking boots were hurting me, wore them on similar ground and the elasticated heel strap kept 'giving' and my feet were sliding around dangerously. On two occasions my foot almost slipped out but this isn't a reflection on the shoes themselves - I just wore them on unsuitable ground.Can't really say anything bad about these shoes and when my own wear out I'll be getting some more - they're so good and so very, very comfortable! When they get a bit scruffy, give them a good wash and let them dry naturally, then apply a little clear wax polish or leather cream to the leather parts which will completely revive and smarten them up!