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Review: Merrell Sawtooth (Walnut)


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Construction Materials:
Nubuck Leather, Ballisticore and Cordura with a Vibram® Chisel™ Sole.
Weight: 2 lbs 14 oz
Color: Walnut

Specs from Merrell:

- Slip Lasted Construction
- Nubuck Leather and Ballisticore™ Upper
- Polyester Mesh Lining
- Nubuck/Ballisticore™ Bellows Tongue
- 4.5mm EVA Anatomical Footbed
- 7mm Tapered Polypropylene Grade 7 Insole
- Full Length EVA Air Cushion Midsole
- 5.5mm Sole Lug Depth
- Vibram® Chisel™ Sole/Trek Rubber

I purchased these boots about one month ago for a couple of loadouts. Namely, my US Navy SEAL and Modern Army Ranger loadouts. These boots were standard issue for Rangers assigned to any of the three 75th Ranger Regiment Battalions during 2005-2007.

Initial Impressions:

I purchased these boots from ShoeBuy.com for $88.95. Shipping was free and very fast. I received my order about 4 days after placing it.

When I opened the package, I was overwhelmed with the apparent quality. The stitching looked solid, and the Nubuck leather and Ballisticore™ looked very rugged and durable. Each boot is a little hefty but something you would expect from a durable piece of footwear. I was however a little worried about the lace lugs located on the lower instep portion of the boot. They looked like they were poorly attached and may come out if the laces were pulled to hard.

I slipped the boots on for the first time and without lacing them, they felt very comfortable. They were a little stiff and I figured they would need some breaking in as most combat/hiking boots do. When I began to lace the left boot for the first time, I gave a firm tug and the laces and low and behold, I ripped out of of the lower lace lugs. I wasn't happy to say the least.

Shoebuy has a great return/refund policy (Free both ways) so I decided to send them back for a refund. I just figured I got a faulty pair. They must have been made on a Friday.... The whole process took less than ten days and I had my new pair waiting for me when I returned home from work.

Appearance:

As far as looks these things are impressive. I really like the styling and the protective toe cap is a nice feature. The colors blend nicely with most camouflage patterns. The soles are high quality and have a very aggressive tread pattern. They look like they can handle any terrain with relative ease. They look great with BDU pants or a pair of jeans as well.

Durability:

Aside from the initial issue of the lace lug ripping out, I have had no issues so far. They have only been worn for normal, everyday use and I haven't had the chance to put them to hard use yet. They seem to be holding up quite well. The tread is showing zero signs of wear so far, and I havent had any issues with the lace lugs thus far. The laces are thick and seem to be extremely durable. I dont think I will be having an issue with them anytime soon.

Comfort:

As stated before, I have been wearing these around for about one month now. I've given them light, general use and they still are a little stiff but for the majority, comfortable. They're never going to be as comfortable as sneakers, but they are pretty close. They are however, much more comfortable then most "issued" combat boots. When I refer to the comfort level of these boots keep in mind that my feet constantly hurt from years of abuse in the Infantry even while wearing sneakers. I have had trenchfoot before to the point where the skin was peeling of my feet, and have had times where my feet have looked like hamburger meat after a long 15-20 mile road march with full combat gear. So, comfort is a relative thing to me. I'm sure an ordinary, everyday user would be in luxury with these on.

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Overall Ratings:

Initial Impressions: 6/10 Due to faulty pair at first.
Appearance: 9/10 Great style and function combined.
Durability: 8/10 Soles look like they may wear quickly.
Comfort: 7/10 Long break in period.

A couple of reference pictures:

US Army Ranger in Iraq 2007:

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My Impression:

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__________________________________________________________________

Another Great choice if your looking for a quality pair of Merrells (Also used by SOF Operators) are the:

Merrell MOAB Mid GTX:


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Merrell MOAB Mid GTX

I've owned a pair of these for quite sometime now, and cant say enough about how great they really are.

These boots are mid height, waterproof and extremely comfortable. And when I say waterproof, I mean it. I have literally submerged my feet in creeks, streams and bathtubs to test this out. They work!
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Thanks for the review. I wanted to order them but I was afraid of the actual sizing on them since I can't find a store around here that carry them. I mean is the size pretty similar to any other shoes you would buy. I mean if I fit in 11 shoes should I assume that size 11 with those will be good for me ?

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Im losing faith in Merrel very fast these days...

 

Ive destroyed quite a few pairs of their boots lately. My latest pair didnt even last me more than six months of two day a week use. The boots were in such good external condition that there was basically ZERO wear on the tread.

 

I took the boots to one training class and managed to separate the entire toe area on the left boot from the shank. My three year old danners are still holding up just fine whereas my Merrels dont seem to last more than six month spans.

 

Kind of disappointing because Merrel makes some of the most comfortable shoes available.

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I have noticed their quality has been going downhill for the past few years.

 

I had a pair of Ventilators that lasted me a mere 8 months before being torn to shreds. The sole completely separated itself from the upper portion of the shoe.

 

My MOAB Mid GTX's have been holding up great and they have been abused. I submerged them in mud at a game a few months ago and completely forgot about them for about two weeks. The mud was dried up and I thought for sure that some damage was done to the shoe (Mildew and rot) But after cleaning them off, they appeared fine. I've worn them pretty regularly since then without issues.

 

 

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I guess I'll toss in my thoughts.

I got the Sawtooths for some general purpose hiking and the occasional game.

Worst I put it though was a 7 day hike including mud and sand. Not ideal for desert designed boots, but they held out fine.

Super comfortable, and I found the break-in period very short as they were quite comfortable already out of the box.

Sizing, I went with 8.5 which is the same size I use for runners.

 

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I have never owned a pair of Merrells combat boots, but plenty of their other shoes and since my first pair 4 years ago i agree i have seen a loss of quality in them, which really dissapoints because otherwise they are pretty ridiculous in comfort.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Is it my imagination, or have you already lost the third lace hook on the outside of the boot nearest to us?

 

EDIT: Just read it in your review. I'd be very wary of buying another pair in that case.

Edited by BaggyPants
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  • 2 weeks later...

I like my Merrells, but I have yet to find a pair of boots I like as much as my Lowa Desert Seeker PTs. They're the lightest and most comfortable combat boot I have ever worn. The Merrell's are good, but I may buy Lowa's version of the Merrell, the Lowa Kody GTX Mid because Lowa's quality is so awesome.

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  • 1 month later...
Im losing faith in Merrel very fast these days...

 

Ive destroyed quite a few pairs of their boots lately. My latest pair didnt even last me more than six months of two day a week use. The boots were in such good external condition that there was basically ZERO wear on the tread.

 

I took the boots to one training class and managed to separate the entire toe area on the left boot from the shank. My three year old danners are still holding up just fine whereas my Merrels dont seem to last more than six month spans.

 

Kind of disappointing because Merrel makes some of the most comfortable shoes available.

 

I actually brought up the issue of Merrells being used by SOF a year ago when trying to sell a pair of their hikers to a customer, only to earn the response, "Maybe that's why we're losing the war."

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I actually brought up the issue of Merrells being used by SOF a year ago when trying to sell a pair of their hikers to a customer, only to earn the response, "Maybe that's why we're losing the war."

 

Wow.... What a tool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regarding Durability, these are cheap so for their cost, they are very good. Merrell boots are pretty cheap compared to other boots in their demographic, such as Asolo. I'd also like to state that it seems the unreliable ones are a fluke. I know a Ranger who's been wearing his since like 2004, the toe cap is JUST beginning to separate. This is after climbing mountains in Afganistan and stuff.

Edited by [BS]_MARS
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I like my Merrells, but I have yet to find a pair of boots I like as much as my Lowa Desert Seeker PTs. They're the lightest and most comfortable combat boot I have ever worn. The Merrell's are good, but I may buy Lowa's version of the Merrell, the Lowa Kody GTX Mid because Lowa's quality is so awesome.

2nd that.

 

My Lowa proved much more durable over a 3 year period than any of my Merrells.

The Merrell soles wear faster and slowly separate from leather after 2 yrs of heavy use (everyday wear+hiking).

 

Hanwag boots (like the Alaska GTX) are also extremely comfortable.

 

I won't buy Merrells anytime soon.

 

 

 

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  • 6 months later...
  • 7 months later...

I have had mine for almost 2 years now. I have not had 1 problem with them. They have gone from Snow in the mountains at -2 degrees to the desert floor at 120 degrees and even in murky nasty water in high humidity. They have remained comfortable and fit like a glove. I am looking at getting some Chameleons EVO Gore Tex next as it is very hard to find Sawtooths in size 12! Sorry some of you had bad experiences with the Merrells, but mine are fine.

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