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Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Merrel Chameleon Kids Regular > Colleen Porter > Field ReportField ReportMerrell Kid Chameleons December 14, 2005 Manufacturer: Merrell Manufacturer's URL: www.Merrell.com Year Model: 2005 Listed Weight: N/A Tested Weight: 1 lb 2.2 oz/0.5 kg
Product Description: essentially a miniature reproduction of the adult version of the Chameleon - a below-the-ankle hiking shoe. The only difference is that the Kid Chameleon has elastic shock cord laces instead of the boring old traditional kind of laces. The Kid Chameleons feature Vibram Octogrip soles, leather and mesh uppers, a removable insole, shock cord lacing with a cord lock, mesh lining inside, and a fairly substantial heel cap. Field Conditions: So far Paul has used the Chameleons on two major outings, to Joshua Tree National Park (Mojave Desert) and the Mecca Hills Wilderness Area (Colorado Desert). Additional use has been more domestic in nature - playgrounds and parks closer to home. Elevations have ranged from 200 feet/61 meters to around 4000 feet/1291 meters. Temperatures have ranged from around 45 degrees F/7 C to around 90 F/32 C. Weather has been mostly clear and dry, but on the Joshua Tree trip there was high humidity due to very recent rains. The trails on the Mecca Hills trip were very gnarly in spots, last winter's heavy rains had eroded some of the downhill sections into rocky troughs. The trail in Joshua Tree involved lots of rocks that I was able to step up onto with some effort, but much-shorter Paul had to climb up and over. Both trips involved lots of sand walking, although the sand at Joshua Tree was much coarser (almost small-grained gravel) and also very damp. Performance so far: In my Initial Report, I detailed how difficult it was to get the Chameleons on with the shock-cord lacing that Merrell has decided to use for them. This lacing made it a frustrating, aggravating experience to force the shoes onto Paul's feet. I applied for permission to alter the shoes by replacing the closed shock cord loop with a pair of standard shoe laces (in almost all cases, alteration of the gear we test is forbidden by BGT). Since I have switched to standard shoelaces (a $2 pair of Spongebob Squarepants laces, to be precise), I have had absolutely no problem getting the Chameleons on Paul's feet. The problem with the shock-cord lacing was that it was a closed loop, so that when I tried to loosen the tongue the cord would tighten elsewhere. Then, when I tried to insert Paul's foot, the cord would pull the tongue back in, shrinking the opening to the shoe. It really was maddening. Now, on to performance. It is really difficult to draw out much detail from a three-and-a-half-year-old boy. All Paul will commit to is that he likes the shoes and that they have never hurt him. He has primarily worn them with a pair of children's hiking socks from Smartwool, although on the Joshua Tree trip we somehow managed to misplace his socks and so out of desperation bought some cheap cotton crew socks in one of the small towns outside the park. With both kinds of socks the Chameleons seemed to fit well and function well. Paul has never complained about his feet, except when he got some rock debris into the shoe. Our two desert trips during the last two months have involved a lot of rough, gravelly, sandy trails, so it's no surprise that some small rock bits and sand did make their way into the shoes. The trails on the Mecca Hills trip were especially challenging. As I mentioned in the Field Conditions, the downhill sections had eroded into troughs, with the rocks that hadn't been washed away jutting out into the grooves and occasionally coming loose when stepped on. We worked our way down slowly, with Paul holding on to one end of my trekking pole and occasionally sliding down on his bottom in the hairiest spots. I watched him as he walked, and the Chameleons seemed to provide a nice, moderately wide platform for his feet. He mostly seemed quite surefooted, especially once he figured out that he could just drop onto his bottom for the worst parts. The Mecca Hills trip also marked the first time when Paul has done 100% of his own walking on a backpacking trip - no rides on Mama or Daddy's shoulders. He carried a small child's Kelty hydration pack, with 1 liter/1quart of water, a few toys and snacks, and his long underwear. I did carry his pack for him for a little while. The trip was 3 miles/4.8 km in and 3 miles/4.8 out, and Paul really shone on the uphills - he charged up them like a mountain goat. I have inspected Paul's feet after all of our hikes, and have found no red spots. Paul has always denied any pain in his feet (his biggest complaint was that his backpack was too heavy, which was why I took it for a while). He seems very stable and surefooted in them, and they seem to be holding up well so far. They have gotten thoroughly soaked several times, and quite muddy. I simply rinsed the mud off with our shower head. So far, we're really pleased with the Chameleons. They seem to be really well-made children's hiking shoes. Read more reviews of Merrell gear Read more gear reviews by Colleen Porter Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Merrel Chameleon Kids Regular > Colleen Porter > Field Report | |||