Field Report

Field Report
Merrell Waterpro Ultra-Sport

December 13, 2005

Manufacturer: Merrell
Manufacturer's URL: http://www.merrell.com
Year Model: 2005
MSRP: 80.00 US
Listed Weight: N/A
Tested Weight: 1 lb 4.4 oz/0.58 kg for the pair

Tester: Colleen Porter
Gender: female
Age: 30
Height: 5'8"/1.73 m
Weight: 140 lb./64 kg
Email address: tarbubble at yahoo dot com
Location: Orange County, CA

Backpacking History: Backpacking Background: I’ve been backpacking for 10 years, usually with my husband. We used to be heavyweights, but having children forced us to go ultralight, and now on my own my 3-season base weight hovers around 13 lbs/6 kg. On family trips the weight usually doubles. I just had my second child in June of this year and he is now 2 months old, plenty old enough to start backpacking. Our 3-season backpacking haunts are the San Gabriels, The Santa Anas, the Sierra Nevada, and the Grand Canyon, and winters find me in the Mojave and Colorado deserts.

Field Conditions: So far, I have used the Waterpros exclusively in southern California. Locations have included Joshua Tree National Park (Mojave Desert), the Mecca Hills Wilderness Area (Colorado Desert), Stoney Point Park (foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains), and the creek system in my very own city. Elevations have ranged from 200 feet/61 meters to around 4000 feet/1291 meters. Weather has been mostly warm, clear, and dry, although on one occasion it was quite cold and there were very strong winds. Temperatures have ranged from around 45 degrees F/7 C to around 90 F/32 C. I have rappelled/abseiled down a dry cliff face while wearing them, and have done some non-technical climbing and scrambling in them as well.

Product Description: Think of a pair of lace-up mesh pool shoes, with Vibram soles. Think of a climbing shoe with mesh uppers and a lugged sole. Think of a shoe that feels almost like a slipper, but that laces up snugly and has solid, grippy soles. The Waterpros are all of these things. The upper is a mix of sturdy mesh, synthetic leather, very thin webbing and even thinner laces. The webbing zigzags vertically along the inside and outside of the foot and forms the loops through which the laces feed. There is a rubber toe cap, which seams into the Vibram sole. The sole is interesting, with a great deal of variety of texture in it, including 5 circles which almost look like suction cups. The heel cup is slightly adjustable and can be tightened or loosened. They don't feel like hiking shoes at all.

Performance: I don't quite have an opinion yet. I have the beginnings of opinions, but nothing solid yet. Except for my local creeks, everywhere I have gone so far while testing the Waterpros has been too dry to feel like I've really seen what that they can do. I'll tell you what I know so far.

These are not ideal approach shoes, especially if you need to carry any substantial weight. I packed 40 lbs/18 kgs into the Mecca Hills while wearing the Waterpros, wearing thin nylon/Coolmax wicking socks, and the balls of my feet were aching just one mile in. With loads orbiting around 20 lbs/9 kgs I have had no such problems. However, the Waterpros offer VERY little cushioning or support, and their narrower soles take some mental adjustment for those of us accustomed to the wider platform offered by most other outdoor shoes. I never thought I had particularly wimpy feet, but a few times when running, or hopping off of a rock, my feet have taken a harder knock than I expected them to. I'm obviously accustomed to a little more cushioning and support from my shoes than the Waterpros offer.

In my more urban pursuits, such as scrambling through corrugated steel pipes with slick algae patches, I find that the Waterpros don't seem to have any magical anti-slip properties. As I walked through the pipes I attempted to place my steps so that the main balance point of my foot ended up on top of a ridge, but my feet would still frequently slip on the slick algae that has formed on the bottom of the pipes, under water.

The Waterpros lace up very tightly and securely - so tightly that several times I have found myself with varying parts of my feet numb from an overenthusiastic lacing job. I think this is a side effect of the "dynamic lacing system," which incorporates not only the laces but a complementary webbing system that the laces feed through. This seems to help distribute the lace tightness/tension throughout the entire shoe.

The Waterpros are compatible with aftermarket insoles. I have occasionally used a pair of Shock Doctor UltraCustom insoles in them, and they work quite nicely.

They do allow water to drain, but they do also retain some water. Not a lot, just enough to leave my feet feeling somewhat squishy after getting back on dry land. They don't dry especially quickly - I used them from 6:15 - 7:15 this morning, got them soaking wet, and now I'm sitting here at my computer writing this report at 9:30 at night, and they are still quite damp.

I do have one mild concern - the seam over the pinky toes, where the tongue ends and the mesh is sewn into the synthetic leather. It's rough and irritating inside both the left and the right shoes, even with thin socks. It hasn't rubbed me raw, or even given me a blister, but it can be a noticeable irritation and because of it I have decided that I will not use the Waterpros without socks. For me, an inveterate sock-spurner, this is a decided disappointment.

Read more reviews of Merrell gear
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Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Merrell Waterpro Ultrasport > Colleen Porter > Field Report

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