Aaron Unscripted A blog about technology, the great outdoors, and other musings…

Merrell Chameleon Evo GTX XCR, Shoe Review

Today I got out of the house to shop around for some gym equipment (another story), and ended up getting a couple pairs of new shoes. Yes, a couple of the same kind of shoe. I am now the proud owner of 3 pairs of Merrell Chameleon Evo GTX XCR shoes. The price was just too good to pass up getting an extra pair, and my current pair are going on 9 months.

I purchased my first pair at REI, after extensively trying on about a dozen similar light hiker types of footwear. The REI staff was extremely helpful, and had more information then I even had the knowledge to ask questions about. My initial need for the shoe was for work, located in the desert environment of Iraq, in which I was walking a great deal, with and without some heavy loads. My biggest concerns were breathability (heat rash sucks), durability, and support.

The biggest difference in these light hikers, is the support they offer. This is difficult to explain unless I go into some great detail. When talking about support, generally ankle support is what is being referred to. Support can be measured/given, in a number of ways, I'm going to talk about two. The first and most common ankle support is what I am going to call traditional support. This support is given by casting/wrapping the ankle directly with varying degrees of stiffness, and flex. This method greatly reduces the mobility/agility that one can use. Think, your traditional hiking boot vs. your typical running shoe. The Merrell Chameleon shoe does not give support in this fashion, and allows you to keep the mobility, and agility that a low-top shoe offers. However, it creates this kind of  feel, using a second type of support. This support is given through the sole of the shoe. The sole is a bit stiffer altogether, It also is stiffer from side to side- think of the angle you roll your ankle when you sprain it. It makes the shoe feel wider in a sense.  (I should take some photos or video of the flex difference between my running shoe and this shoe as a comparison.)

In other comparisons, you should also note that traditional hiking boots have a generally flatter sole as well. This Merrell has a very similar, if not the same, curve to the soul as do my running shoes.  Coupled with the stiffness, I can see how some reviewers, have noticed (to their dislike) that their toe has a feeling that it is pointed upward. I also noticed this, but only for the short period it took to truly break the shoes in, and it wasn't to my discomfort. I actually prefer the curve of the sole, as it keeps you forward on your toes. It's really meant for someone who is actively hiking, and not just on a slow stroll, or standing around.

On durability. I have been an active runner, and worn many types of running shoes, cross trainers, and trail shoes to run in.  Many of them are excellent shoes for the task, but they wear down incredibly fast. These Merrell shoes on the other hand are way more durable, made with leather a Vibram sole with a partially covered toe. For instance for the first six months I was in Iraq I wore a pair of Salomon light hikers. However, these light hikers were more in tune with a trail running type of shoe. I wore the crap out of them, they had split seams, and separated soles.  On the other hand these Merrell's are still going strong, but the Vibram soles are getting quite worn down, and the sole cushioning has broken down to a point that it doesn't provide the comfort they once did. They don't have any torn/split seams and they aren't separated at the sole at any part. I have also ran a few miles at a time in these, they are not extremely comfortable for the task, but they do handle fairly well. They would not be my first choice to run in.

Comfort in these shoes is felt from the first time you put the shoe on. However, after a few weeks of wearing them I was truly impressed by how comfortable they were. They are by far the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn.  I bragged about them every few hours to my coworkers, at their ever withering interest in what I had to say about them, for a couple months.

I would recommend this shoe to anyone who likes the idea of having more mobility/agility then a traditional hiking shoe, but does not want to sacrifice complete support. Also, consider this shoe if you are interested in something that can take more trail and wilderness abuse then other light hikers.

On a side note, I didn't mention, or write in depth, on a few things like the other materials the shoe is made of like the Gore-tex, and the Vibram Soles. I think each material merits it's own review, however I do recomend these materials over others.