Anyone found a replacement for Merrell hiking shoes?

[Brokenbear]

I used to wear New Balance shoes simply because they were the only one that did my feet good ...but that went away about 9 years ago but luckily I found Merrell Moabs ..getting about 3 years daily wear out of them ..made in Malaysia did not enthuse me but they worked well ..ordered a new pair to start working into the "rotation" and gleefully opened the box slapping them on and whoa !!!! like walking on marbles !!! ...so I look at the label and yes they are the model of choice "MOAB" ..darn this is bad ..then I notice "Made in China" in small letters on the tongue label ...UGH !!! What Krap...

I tried them for two and a half weeks and the mesh fabric started unraveling just below each ankle ..my 2.5 year old pair these were to replace are not raveled, and worse feel better to my feet than the new ones as I feel the knobs of the Vibrum cleats in the new vs still a soft smooth feel still yet with the 2.5 year old one's to be replaced ..

I dare say the only thing going for the new Chinese pair is ..they might smell just a skosh better than my old ones ..

Anyone with a good history of another brand of hiking/trail/walking shoe pleaze pipe up as these dudes are going back to Merrill

Bear

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Before I retired, a co-worker got me onto a New Balance steel toe tennis shoe that was very comfortable... required for our shop that required steel toe shoes.

When looking for a specific pair of vintage shoes, just search ebay. I don't know what exact model you are looking for, but I found tons of "pre-owned" Moab shoes.
You must be very specific with the search window info.
ie:
Merrell Mens Moab 2 Mid J06051W Brown Waterproof Hiking Boot Size 11.5W
.
Be sure to ask seller for country of origin, before you click "BUY"

[Czech_too]

While I do have a pair, actually the second pair, of Merrill sneaker style shoes, I also have a pair of Keen mid height shoes. After some years these need to be replaced and I'm seriously looking at the Keen brand again.

[jonp]

Keen. Wife and I have a couple of pairs each and have been wearing them for years. I wear a pair of hard toes for work and they are very comfortable. They are not hard core hiking shoes, though but more like day or weekend hikers.

[Sig]

Keen here as well. I have wide feet & they do have that option.

[Shawlerbrook]

Another Keen fan here .

[Half Dog]

I feel your pain. It’s frustrating, for me, trying to find a pair of shoes. When I find a shoe that fits me I’ll get 2 pair. When they wear out they won’t be produced anymore. I’ve asked a shoe person how long the shoes should last and got a surprising answer. I went home and asked google the same question. Again a surprise answer. Ugh

[fastdadio]

Maybe start looking here for American made boots and shoes;
https://americansworking.com/shoes.html
I went through the list and found these companies that may interest you;
https://helmboots.com/
https://www.americanmadeworkboots.com/
https://heartlandfootwearinc.com/
Good luck.

[Brokenbear]

Gosh it was wonderful to arise this morning to all kinds of positive vibes ..looks like Keen will get checked on my end first with so many users as well as following up the leads you all have suggested ..thanks all

Bear

[GregLaROCHE]

I always bought New Balance because of the larger width offered. For out in the woods, I wear White’s boots. They have served me well for many years. Consider looking into some of the American boot and shoe manufacturers. There’s nothing like a custom made shoe and they last a lot longer than those that are nothing more than plastic glued together. Whites has a selection of different kinds of shoes besides boots. I’ve heard good things about Nicks too. There are other American manufacturers as well.

[1eyedjack]

I wore moab hikers myself then the last pair were made in Vietnam! Different fit and quality sucked been wearing new balance but running into the same issues
I hate shopping for shoes, have large feet & the selection of 13 or 14 is often limited!

[trebor44]

Brand name is not really an indication of 'quality' since many brands are made to "specifications" of the seller or distributor. E.g. a large vendor (shall be un-named) sold a hiking boot originally made in Italy to Romania production, chasing the lower production costs! As always, it is 'buyer beware'!

[HWooldridge]

I have long narrow feet and wore New Balance when I was in my 30's and 40's but same problem as everyone else when they quit making ones that fit.

I've had good luck with Skechers since then. I have to shop because the models change all the time but I can usually find something that fits. Another choice is Converse - they make many models aside from the old basketball shoes many of us wore in school.

[Thumbcocker]

Bought a pair of Keens used at Moab gear trader. Some of the best money I ever spent.

[farmbif]

sure have found a replacement. LOWA renegade GTX. ive been through quite a few different quality brands of hiking shoes and boots, I won't list all the brand names. but this past summer I wanted to get my daughter a good quality pair of hiking shoes and we went to a bunch of places and saw a lot of overpriced junk. then we happened upon this small shoe store with an owner who not only is an old time cobler but has some sort of degree in feet and shoes and makes custom shoes and adjustments to shoes that are prescribed by doctors. this guy knows more about shoes and feet than anyone I ever met and only sells the best quality shoes.

anyway he put these LOWA shoes on our feet right out of the box and for me anyway there fit like no other shoes I had ever worn. fantastic stuff. not cheap but well worth every penny they cost. I had never heard of LOWA shoes before. turns out this LOWA company has a long and rich history of quality shoemaking and they are not made in china like all the other brands these days including brands previously mentioned here and danner and even red wing.
I could go on but if you might just try a pair of shoes made by these people.

[waksupi]

I have wide feet and have had a broken metatarsal that hurts all the time. I found comfortable shoes at

https://www.healthyfeetstore.com/wide.html

The pair I'm wearing at the time are about five years old. I had them resoled once, and the uppers are still in great condition. You might take a look at them.

[Frosty Boolit]

I Used to buy keen but the last pair I bought about 2 years ago felt really light and the outsoles seemed to be made of a material similar to Crocs. They came apart way to soon so I don't think I'll buy them again. I actually bought the Merrell Moab instead of the keen. I'm really not that satisfied with them either but I'll wear them out regardless.

[ShooterAZ]

My wife has Plantar fasciitis and wears orthotics. Finding comfortable hiking shoes for her has been a real challenge. The Merrill's she liked are discontinued. I bought her a pair of Danner "Mountain Overlook" boots and she says that they are the most comfortable boots she's ever owned. Danner has a full line of quality boots, you might take a look at them too.

https://www.danner.com/men/hike/moun...nk-s-robe.html

https://www.danner.com/men/hike?sort...status%5B%5D=0

[blackthorn]

I have come to the conclusion that if you find a product (any product) that you find superior, buy a case or several (pair of shoes) to hold in reserve. This is because once you find a good product it will not be long until it is either discontinued or produced somewhere else cheaper and the quality has been ruined.

[Brokenbear]

Well I am starting out with an order from the folks at KEEN and we will see if "the shoe fits"

but I will still investigate some of the other gems others have mentioned ..

Thanks all

Bear