Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Merrell Passage Ventilator Mid > Chuck Carnes > Long Term Report

Long Term Report
MERRELL
Passage Ventilator Mid Boots

by Chuck Carnes
Report Date: September 14, 2006

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Name: Chuck Carnes
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft. 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)
Shoe Size: 9.5 US
E-mail address: ctcarnes1(at)yahoo(dot)com
City, State, Country: Greenville, South Carolina USA

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND

I love the outdoors – I’ve spent time camping in the outdoors since I was born, and have been actively hiking and backpacking since then. I consider myself a lightweight hiker, usually carrying 20 – 30 pounds (11-13 kg) for hikes up to a week in length. I hike at an easy pace, averaging 2 mph (3 kph). I am a one-man tent camper for now. I like to carry a single trekking pole when I hike to help relieve stress to my legs and knees. I like to get out on the trail as often as I can.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: Merrell

Model: Passage Ventilator Mid

Year of manufacture: 2006

Shoe Size: 9.5 USA (44 Euro)

Color: Walnut

URL: www.merrell.com

Listed Weight: Not listed on web site

Weight as delivered: 2 lb 10 oz (1.19 kg) for the pair

MSRP: Not listed on web site

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (from web site)

Think of this as a right of passage: a day hiker that’s higher-cut for support but still slim and fleet-feeling. Concealed In-Board™ EVA footframe cuts the bulk; overt nubuck leather strapping reinforces a breezy mesh upper that’s stabilized by a flying bridge molded TPU side and ankle supports. Vibram® Day Hiker Plus™ sole adds larger and deeper braking and traction lugs at heel and forefoot for more demanding conditions.

– Slip Lasted Construction
– Nubuck Leather/Breathable Ventilator Mesh Upper
– Breathable Ventilator Mesh Lining
– Breathable Ventilator Mesh Bellows Tongue
– Injection Molded TPU Counter/In-Step Stability
– 4.5mm Anatomical Footbed
– Nylon 6.6 Injection Molded Arch Shank
– In-Board™ Compression Molded EVA Footframe
– Q-Form™ Alignment System (women)
– Integrated External TPU Support Counter/Grade 4 Insole
– Air Cushion® Midsole
– 5mm Sole Lug Depth
– Vibram® Day Hiker Plus™ Sole/Trek & Versa Rubber

FIELD REPORT

Trip #3:
Location: Shinning Rock, N.C.
Elevation: 6,000 ft (1,829 m) - 6,500 ft (1,981 m)
Temperature: 95-102 F (35-38 C) day, 85-90 F (29-32 C) night
Weather Conditions: Dry and hot in the day and night. Afternoon rain showers.
Duration of Trip: 2 days, 1 night
Length of Trip: 8 miles (12 km)
Report: During this trip the boots performed great. I never had any problems with them and they still continue to be comfortable during my hikes. I did experience a rain shower on one of the evenings but the boots did not get wet enough to hinder the performance.

Trip #4:
Location: Mount Mitchell, N.C.
Elevation: 6,400 ft (1,951 m) - 6,750 ft (2,057 m)
Temperature: 88-94 F (31-34 C) day, 75-80 F (23-26 C) night
Weather Conditions: Dry and cool with slight breeze during the day. Cool at night. No rain.
Duration of Trip: 3 days, 2 nights
Length of Trip: 6 miles (9 km) total
Report: The elevation gain and loss on this trip was very high. These trails were straight up and straight down. Some areas had steps built into the trail. The boots worked wonderfully on the steep ascents and descents. My toes and heels stayed in their proper place without having to change my standard lacing technique.
   

FINAL OBSERVATIONS

My answers to these questions from the Field Report are in red. The answers I obtained during my Long Term phase are in blue.

External TPU Support

The External TPU Support is Merrells way of keeping the ankle and the heel in contact with the boot. It also gives lateral support to the ankle to keep it from rolling over and causing injury to the ankle. Merrell tags this feature as the "Flying Bridge".

Can I immediately do lengthy miles on the trail without much breaking in? Yes, for me, there was no break-in time needed. After four months of testing these, they feel like I have worn them for years.
Will the shoe fit nicely around my foot? Yes, the fit is snug but not so tight to rub on my foot.
Will I have the custom fit feel? Yes, the minute I put these shoes on, they felt like they were made for my foot.
Will I get any hot spots or blisters from tight areas or can I fix those easily? So far, I have had no problems with hot spots or potential blisters. During my test period I never did experience any problems with hot spots or blisters.
Will my toes jam up into the toe area on steep descents? No, the TPU support keeps my foot placed on the footbed in the area that it supposed to be. This statement still holds true.
Will my heels constantly come out of the heel cup on ascents? No, again the TPU support keeps my feet snug to the footbed and in place. This statement still holds true.

Mesh Uppers

The mesh uppers are made of lightweight foam filled breathable material. The material is very comfortable to the skin around the ankle if a short sock is worn. This mesh upper will allow heat that might generate in the foot area to be able to escape and not be trapped to cause irritation or blisters. The Nubuck Leather at the front also helps to support the ankle laterally.

Will the material tear easily? I have brushed the uppers against logs and a few rocks. The material has been very durable and shows no signs of wear. A few of the fibers have been picked from catching edges on rocks or branches but no functional issues.
How well does the heat escape? When the shoe is removed, my skin in the ankle area under the sock is a bit moist; not dripping with sweat but there is some moisture. This moisture never caused any rubbing or blister problems. I still find that my feet are moist after a good hike. Some of this may be caused by the outside temperatures.
If a short sock is worn, will I get irritation or blisters on my ankles from the material? At this point, no. This statement still holds true.
Will my ankles stay supported? Yes, the support in this area is very good. Luckily, I never experienced an ankle injury during this test; not even a rolled ankle.

Laces and Lace Hooks

The laces and lace hooks make this boot easy to tighten the shoe and quick to tie it up. The lace hooks appear to be made of a hard plastic and very durable. The laces are a flat shaped nylon lace that appears to be very strong. The length of them when tied is just right and I am not having to find a hiding place for laces that are too long.

How durable are the laces? With the constant tying and untying and catching the loops on branches and other protruding objects, the laces have been very durable. The laces have seemed to stretch a bit and I have had to tie them in several knots to keep from tripping over them; but neither one of them have broke.
Will I have to implement different lacing techniques to get a good fit that keeps the shoe tight to my foot? So far, no. The standard lace pattern works well. I tried the different lace patterns and could never really tell any difference than the standard lacing patterns
Will I have to replace them in the four month period? I will note this at that time. No, I have not.
If I wear gaiters, how well will they handle the lace hooks on Gaiters? I have not worn gaiters at this point. Gaiters were never used during this testing period.

Gusseted Tongue

The gusseted tongue is always a good feature to a boot. This helps keep small pebbles, water and rocks from entering in from the lace area. The mesh tongue allows heat build-up to escape from this area to help keep the foot cool.

Will the material keep any water from entering the boot from this area? Water still seeps through in this area but the gusset does prevent sand and small stones from entering. Since my Field Report, I did not experience any creek crossings.
How well does it keep my feet from overheating? Because of the mesh lowers, I did not get any heat build up in this area. This statement still holds true.
Will it feel bunched up when I wear thicker socks? At this point, no. This statement still holds true.

Leather/Rubber Toe Guard

The toe area of the boot has a portion of the Vibram sole that wraps up the front part and a section of Versa Rubber that completes the toe area. Right away I feel that my toes will be protected against stubbing them on a rock or root. All portions of the different fabrics are double stitched to each other to ensure construction quality.

Will this toe area indeed protect my toes against stubbing them on rocks, roots and other objects? Yes, I tend to stub my toe on rocks and stumps as I hike and these have certainly saved my toes. This statement still holds true.
How easy is it for water to enter in this area? Not easy in the rubber toe area but the mesh that is sewn to the rubber is an easy way for water to enter. This mesh also gives a nice breeze of air to enter and cool the foot. Since my Field Report, I did not experience any creek crossings.

Vibram Soles

There is not much, verbally, to add to Vibram Soles. These are top notch soles and are usually welcomed on any boot. These particular soles are very rigid and seem to be very durable and tough. The traction system on the bottom is very well laid out and the lugs are positioned in the most important places.

Does the Vibram sole protect my feet from sharp boulders or objects? Yes, when I had to walk on half buried rocks on the trail, these Vibram soles certainly saved the bottom of my feet. These soles have certainly been very durable and have shown no wear on them.
What kind of grip do the soles of the shoe give on wet, slick terrain; or dry terrain for that matter? Very good, the soles stuck to the slick rocks that were in the creek during the creek crossings. My feet felt secure as I stepped on and off of these rocks. Since my Field Report, I did not experience any creek crossings.

Anatomical Footbed

The footbeds that come with these boots seem to be Merrells standard footbed. I have to say that for a standard footbed, it is really nice. The heel cup is deep and the cushion in the heel and toe area are thicker than the rest of the footbed. This puts comfort in the areas that strike the ground the most.

How comfortable is the footbed that is provided with the shoe? Very comfortable to me as a standard footbed. They gave me the support that I needed. This statement still holds true.
Will I need or want to replace them? Not yet. I have not needed to replace these footbeds; just a personal preference.
I like having the option of wearing different thicknesses of socks, sometimes one pair and sometimes two pairs with different thicknesses. Will I be able to wear a variety of different thicknesses of socks and still feel comfortable and not too tight? So far only one pair of socks have been worn for these shoes and for a single layer sock, the comfort and great fit are evident. This statement still holds true.

Overall, I have been very pleased with these boots and I will continue to wear them on my hiking and backpacking adventures.

Thank you Merrell and BGT for giving me this opportunity to test these boots.

Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Merrell Passage Ventilator Mid > Chuck Carnes > Long Term Report