Best for broad feet and light tramping trips

960g (m), 740g (w)

Plusses: Comfort, good fit for broad feet, able to carry medium-weight packs
Minuses: They’re on the heavy side, minimal protection

Features: Merrell has been making its ‘mother of all boots’ for 15 years. It’s the brand’s best-selling shoe. This latest version promises out-of-the-box comfort with a soft and supple suede leather and mesh upper. It has a waterproof/breathable lining, a shock-absorbing air cushion heel, a nylon arch shank, a bellows tongue to keep debris out and a Vibram outsole.

Fit: It’s built on a wide last and the UK8.5 was true to my usual size. Length and width were ideal, providing enough room to wriggle toes and not have them bunch up on descent. The heel cup is shallow and doesn‘t ‘grip’ the heel, meaning laces need to be done up tightly to keep the foot in position.

Comfort: It delivers its out-of-the-box comfort promise. The padded tongue and collar feel plush and the insole and thick midsole are nicely cushioned.

In use: I used these shoes on several day and overnight trips. They have held up well with the uppers only slightly grazed and showing a few other signs of wear. 

This shoe’s sweet spot is for below-the-bushline day walks and overnighters with a reasonably light pack. They have a bit too much flex in the forefoot to comfortably carry a heavy pack all day.

I wore them on rough tracks during the height of summer, and my feet never felt too hot or cramped, nor did pressure points develop. My feet were held securely with no heel-lift or sliding around on ascents and descents. 

I used them on metalled and benched tracks and on deep mud and rocky traverses. The shoes don’t have the most gripping of soles, but mud is shed reasonably well; in fact they took all surface types in their stride. A few stream crossings felt a little less secure as the shoe moved on slick surfaces. I was also less confident when sidling steep slopes, as there’s just a bit too much flex for the shoe to ‘bite’ into the hillside.

Because of its wide base, the Moab 3 has a clunky feel to it – it’s not an agile or ‘fast’ shoe. For this reason, I would hesitate to use it on scrambly hikes above the bushline or where the uppers, which have minimal protection, could be abraded. 

My overnight kit weighs around 7kg and that was about the limit these shoes could handle on a full day of walking. Their comfort (and the nylon arch shank) goes a long way towards minimising foot fatigue, but they are still quite flexible, which means there is a limit.

Value: This shoe represents excellent value for money considering the range of trips it can handle and the impressive comfort.

Verdict: If you’re looking for a hiking shoe for day walks and on-track overnighters, you can’t go wrong with the Moab 3.