Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Merrell Passage Ventilator Mid > Thomas Vickers > Long Term Report

Merrell Passage Ventilator Mid Long Term Report

September 5, 2006

Tester Background:
I grew up in the piney woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested woods behind the house. My style has evolved and over the last 4 or 5 years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping bags and tents, just lighter versions). While I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of comfort, while carrying the lightest load possible.

Getting Wet:
During this last portion of the test I spent a lot of mornings out and about in dewy grass.  The Ventilator Mids were often soaked (not my feet though) and then dried as the day heated up or by the time I put them on the next day.  At this point I feel that the repeated wettings and dryings have caused the boots to shrink up a bit.   They are comfortable with only a light hiking sock, but very tight when I tried them on with a sock liner and heavy hiking sock.  This is a bit of a concern for me because I buy boots large in order to use heavier socks and liners and at this point the boots are not comfortable to me with this type of a sock/liner set up.  For hot and dry, I feel that these boots are great, but when there is a lot (30+) wet/dry cycles they might not be what I want to wear. 

Soles:

For me, a boot is worn out and dead when the soles wear out.   Usually this means that the heal area has worn down a great deal and/or the sole in general is worn or pitted from rocks or other hard surfaces.  I have worn the Ventilator Mids on asphalt and concrete during the course of this test and I think that these two surfaces are just as demanding as rocks.  To my great surprise, the soles are still in great shape.  I can not remember when I wore boots for this long without seriously degrading the soles.   Compared to the rest of the boot, the soles are probably the most intact and least worn portion, at least to my eyes.  

Wear and tear:
I have already mentioned the fact that the boots seem to have shrunk or tightened up a great deal over this last portion of the test.  I have also noticed that the leather portions of the boots are discolored, almost washed out as compared to the synthetic portions.  I feel that the amount of moisture that these boots have been exposed to as well as the summer sun here in Texas have played a big part in this discoloration.  

Other than discoloration of the leather and shrinkage, these boots have held up well.   There are no torn areas, loose threads or stitching, and the laces are in great condition.  Other than the soles, laces are probably the next least durable item on boots that I wear and the laces on the Ventilator Mids have held up rather well over the last few months. 

Fit:
1. How long does it take to break these boots in?
I didn't notice a break in period at all. The boots are a synthetic and leather mix which didn't seem to need any time to mold to my feet or be broken in.

2. Can I put my own insoles into these boots?  (will they fit?)
Yes. I used Shock Doctor and Superfeet insoles in these boots. Both fit without any cutting and they did not fill the boot up and leave me without room for my feet.

3. How comfortable are these boots with and without my own insoles?  
The stock Merrell insoles were nothing to write home about. My feet and legs ached after just a couple of hours using them.  I did like the fact that the Merrell insoles were easy to remove when it came time to put my own insoles into these boots. 

4.  How do these boots feel with normal socks? Can I tighten/adjust them to a comfortable level with just normal socks? (I use hiking boots that are one size larger so I can use heavy hiking socks, but sometimes it is too warm to wear them)
Despite ordering boots that were larger than my foot size, I was easily able to adjust them (with laces) to a comfortable  level using regular cotton socks and a light hiking sock.  This really helped make these boots more usable for me since most of my hiking this summer did not require heavy socks.  Despite using lighter than usual socks, the boots did not bounce or rub and stayed firmly in place without any difficulties. 

5. How do these boots fit with my normal hiking sock setup? (Heavy liner and heavy hiking sock)
Great. With a heavy liner and heavy hiking sock the fit was firm, yet gentle. My feet didn't feel crowded or cramped and my feet felt fine. 

6. Do the laces allow for a wide range of adjustment to the fit?
Yes.  The lacing system was great for tightening up the boot to accommodate lighter socks or just my need for a looser fit. 

7. Do these boots feel like boots or more like shoes?
The vote has to go boots here.  They were light and comfortable, but the sheer size of the Ventilator Mids and the soles definitely gave them a "booty" feel.

8. Is the fit roomy or tight?  Does the size match what I need for hiking boots or are there sizing differences/irregularities for this brand?
A size 11.5 worked just fine. It fit like any other 11.5 and that seems to be a rarity for some brands, but not Merrell. The size was just right and if I used lighter socks, I just used the laces to adjust it till it was right again.

Usage:
1. How water/element resistant is the boot?
The Ventilator Mids will get your feet wet. I discovered this the hard way by walking through or standing in water.  I have also been in rain and heavy dew with these boots and seen the boot get soaked, but my feet/socks stayed dry.

2. Do they keep my feet dry in wet conditions?
If wet is rain or dew, yes they kept my feet dry.  If the wet conditions are standing water, then no. My feet and socks both got rather wet when I had to deal with standing water.

3. Do the laces stay laced?
Yes and rather well too.  I hate boots that have laces that come undone or don't fit into the speed lace slots very well. On the Ventilators, the laces were just the right diameter and when they were laced, they stayed laced unless I stepped on them. I really like the laces on these boots.

4. Do these boots breathe well? Will my feet overheat in the summer heat? Will my feet get sweaty?
They seemed to breathe pretty well. I wore them in very hot and humid conditions and I don't recall any bad cases of sweaty feet.  I never once felt that my feet were overheated or extra sweaty while wearing these boots.

5. How quickly can I get into/out of these boots?  Do they utilize a speed lace system? 
I never timed myself, but I felt that getting into and out of these boots took a normal amount of time. The top two latches were speed lace style hooks that made adjusting the laces quick and easy. 

6. Is this an easy task to get in/out of these boots on the trail or a task that requires great flexibility?
With the top two hooks being speed lace hooks, it was easy to loosen the boots and get them off.  I usually had to sit to put them on or take them off, but this was more me being inflexible and not the fault of the boots.

7. Do these boots provide adequate support for my ankles?
I feel that they provide plenty of support. I never rolled an ankle during the test and the ankle area of the boots did not rub or chafe in any way. 

8. Are there any strange friction points on these boots that might cause blisters for my feet?
None, not even with lighter than normal socks.  If I adjusted the laces correctly there was no rubbing, chafing, or burning at any location on my feet.

Durability:
1. After prolonged trail wear (3+ days) do these boots start to smell?
No odors. Not even after wearing them around camp barefooted, with no socks. 

2. Will they have a permanently poor odor after 4 months of testing?
No. Despite being wet many times, even inside, they did not develop any permanent smells.  

3.  Does the Vibram sole handle mud? Will it grab the mud or will I slip?
The soles grabbed pretty well on mud, but they also tended to hold the mud (in the soles) and at some points they got slippery because they were caked with goo.   On hard surfaces, the soles had a tendency to slip when the surface was wet, which caused me several embarrassing moments.

4. How easy is it for debris to get into the boot when it is tightly laced?
No debris got in at any time. Even if the boots were a bit loose, the tops seemed to keep things out.

5. How durable is sole? I tend to drag my heels and this causes most soles to wear quickly.
These soles were the most durable that I have ever seen on a pair of boots.  There is no serious wear, even on the heels and I feel like these soles have a lot more wear in them.  I was really impressed by the durability of the Ventilator Mid soles.

6. How durable is the toe area? This is another high wear area on my shoes/boots.
Other than discoloration of the leather in the toe area, the toes held up well.   Despite bumps and scuffs, the toe area did not wear out and there was no fraying or separation of the materials in the toes.


Final thoughts:
I have really enjoyed testing the Merrell Ventilator Mid boots.  They were comfortable and durable despite my best efforts at wearing them out.  Most of my hiking time is spent in the rather hot and humid climate here in Texas and I would have to say that these boots are incredibly comfortable and well constructed for this type of climate.  I don't think I would enjoy them as much in a wetter climate due to my experiences with them in water, but for Texas, they are great.  I also enjoyed the durability of the soles on these boots.  If I can't wear out the soles in four months, then they are much tougher than I expected. 

Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Merrell Passage Ventilator Mid > Thomas Vickers > Long Term Report