Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Merrell Waterpro Ultrasport > Chuck Carnes > Field Report

Field Report
MERRELL
Waterpro Ultra-Sport Shoes

by Chuck Carnes
Report Date: January 20, 2006

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Name: Chuck Carnes
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft. 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 175 lb (79 kg)
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: Waterpro Ultra-sport

Year of manufacture: 2005

Shoe Size: 10 USA (44 Euro)

Color: Dark Grey / Yellow

URL: www.merrell.com

Listed Weight: Not listed on web site

Weight as delivered: 24 oz (680 g) pair

MSRP: Not listed on web site

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (from web site)

The ultimate terrain vacuum, this Waterpro runs wild and runs fast, wet or dry. Contoured for canyoneering, the mesh upper drains automatically via integrated drainage ports, and is buttressed by synthetic leather strapping, and cinches down with a dynamic lacing system for custom adjustment. Vibram® RinseMaster™ Sole provides slightly higher perimeter lugs for additional traction and protection on uneven surfaces.

Slip Lasted Construction

Synthetic Leather/Ventilated Mesh Upper

Micro Mesh Free Flowing Drainage Ports

Injection Molded TPU Rearfoot Stabilizer

Free Floating Heel/Dynamic Lacing System

Hydro Drainage/Ventilated Footbed

Injection Molded TPU Toe Bumper/ Integrated Drainage Ports

Nylon 6.6 Injection Molded Arch Shank

In-Board™ Compression Molded EVA Footframe

Q-Form™ Alignment System (women)

Air Cushion® Midsole

Water Friendly Non-Marking/Razor-Cut Siped Sole

3.5mm Sole Lug Depth

Vibram® RinseMaster™ Sole Versa & TC1 Rubber  

FIELD REPORT

The shoes are much narrower than most trail shoes. They have a "rock climbing shoe" feel to them. The soles feel and sound, hard when I walk along wood floors; much like dress shoes sound but they seem to stick and grip real well to the ground. The shoes feel very light and airy; mostly due to more than half of the shoe being made of mesh. For more on my initial impressions see my Initial Report.

The first trip I took was a two-night stay to a small area in Clayton, Georgia. It has a few trails and a few campsites but is only known by the locals. I am not a local but I know someone who is and he showed me some of his favorite spots. The weather was great for this time of year. The temperature was 75 F (24 C) during the day and 47 F (8 C) at night. There was no precipitation on this trip. The Merrell Waterpro shoes felt and performed great during this trip. At one point along the trail I had to cross a very wide river but it was very shallow. As I walked through the river the water flowed right through the shoe. I did not feel any resistance as my feet shuffled through the water. When I came out on the other side I continued to walk up the trail leaving the shoes on to see how well they did while wet. Of course with the shoes being wet they picked up a lot of dirt and debris off of the trail but none of it worked it's way into the shoe. The water quickly worked it's way out of the port slots at the base of the shoe and they also dried fairly quickly. The water seemed to have loosened up the laces either by getting wet or the flow of the river. I stopped for a moment, tightened them up and I was on my way. The shoes seemed to squish for a little bit but after about .5 miles (.8 k) they dried. I like the different lacing options on this shoe. I was able to lace and tie the laces in a way that kept the shoe snugged to my heal to hopefully prevent any blisters. It worked! For my sock choice, I wore a light weight wool sock with a liner. At night I really thought that I would feel somewhat of a chill or breeze through the mesh material on the shoe but I never did. My feet stayed warm and I kept them on up until I went to bed. I probably could have slept in them because they do have a 'bedroom slipper' feel.

My second trip was a two-night stay at Jones Gap near Caesars Head in South Carolina. The weather was a little bit colder than my first trip. The temperature was 62 F (16 C) during the day and 39 F (4 C) at night. On this trip, again, I did not experience any precipitation. Also on this trip I did not have to cross any creeks or rivers which was a good thing since the water would have been very cold. I did encounter some boulder climbing and jumping along the trail. The shoes performed great on the rocks when gripping was needed to keep from slipping and busting my butt. The surface of the rocks were dry and the bottoms of the shoe stuck to the dry surfaces like it was glue. The shoes, on this trip, again performed very well. On both trips my pack weight was about 25 lbs (11 k) and the shoes supported my feet very well under this light load.

CONTINUED TEST PLAN

My continued test plan for these shoes is to continue to test the overall comfort and durability of the shoe. How well will they hold up to numerous miles of wear and tear? I will be looking to confirm the features that are listed below and how well they perform. I will make notes of any discomforts and include those in my Long Term Report. I will also answer some, if not all, of the questions below in my Long Term Report. I will expand on some of the answers that are given here once I have had a full four months of testing.

Can I immediately do lengthy miles on the trail without much breaking in? On the first trip I did a total of 8.5 miles (13.7 km) and the shoes did not feel as if they needed break-in time. They were very comfortable from the start.

Will the shoe fit nicely around my foot with or without socks? Yes, I have worn them around with and with out socks and they fit my feet very well.

Will I have the custom fit feel? They do feel as if they are custom fitted because of the different options the user has for lacing techniques.

Will I get any hot spots or blisters from tight areas or can I fix those easily? So far I have not experienced any hot spot or blisters.

Will my toes jamb up into the toe area on steep descents? I have to say that the size of my shoes are a half size larger than my normal shoe size. Merrell does not provide half sizes in this shoe. I wear a size 9.5 US (43 Euro) and I had to get a size 10 US (43 Euro). Therefore, the shoes are slightly longer than my other shoes. To answer the question, I was able to tie and lace the shoes in a way that kept my feet at the back and on steep descents my feet stayed in place.

Will my heels constantly come out of the heel cup on ascents? So far I have not experienced this problem.

How comfortable is the footbed that is provided with the shoe? At this point in the test they are still comfortable.

Will I need or want to replace them? Not yet.

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 I have worn a light weight wool sock with a liner and a heavier weight wool sock with no liner and the shoes conform to my feet with these different thicknesses and do not feel tight.

I like to know that my shoes are dependable and durable. Will these shoes show any sign of wear at a four month period? At two months of testing the shoes show very little sign of wear. They are still in great shape.

How well does water evacuate from the shoe? As noted above, very well.

Does the mesh material continue to let the water out as my foot squeezes water from my sock? Yes

When water does get in and drain, how quickly will my feet dry? Within about 30 minutes but that depends on the temperature.

Is it a noticeable difference with the mesh material versus taking a wet shoe off, changing socks and continuing on while the shoe dries? I felt very comfortable with leaving the shoes on after they got wet and had no desire to remove them due to discomfort.

Does the Vibram sole protect my feet from sharp boulders or objects? So far, yes, the soles are thick and very durable.

At the area where the sole meets the mesh, will the sole start separating from the shoe in this area at any time during the testing? At this point in testing there is no separation or any signs of wear.

What kind of grip do the soles of the shoe give on wet, slick terrain; or dry terrain for that matter? I don't know about wet terrain at this point but they do grip very well on dry surfaces.

Do the web straps give good lateral stability for my foot personally? Yes, I really like this lacing system.

Does the outside material of the shoe clean easily? Yes, just a simple rub with a wet towel and the shoes are clean.

Will the material tear easily? So far they have not torn.

Will my foot fill up the volume of the shoe without many voids? All but the very front in the toe area and that is due to the half size larger.

Some of my testing period will be during the warmer months. That means stinky feet syndrome. How well do the shoes handle odor? I have not experienced any odor problems yet with these shoes.

Do they dry well enough so that the shoes do not have an odor problem? Yes

How durable are the laces? The laces are still strong and have not frayed at all.

It appears that the lateral webbing straps give many different tightening techniques with laces to support the foot and to keep the shoe well planted to the foot; will this prove to be true? Yes, I have been very impressed with the lacing system and my feet have stayed well planted in the shoes.

Will I have to replace them in the four month period? So far they are holding out and staying strong.

If I wear gaiters, how well will they handle the lace hooks on Gaiters? At this point I have not used gaiters with these shoes.

How long into the colder months can I wear the shoes and my feet still stay warm? I have worn these shoes in 39 F (4 C) weather and my feet were still warm.


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

Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Merrell Waterpro Ultrasport > Chuck Carnes > Field Report