My favorite hiking boot brand let me down on a muddy trail in Oregon

I've sworn by Merrell for like 8 years, but last month on the Eagle Creek trail my soles felt like slicks on wet rocks. Meanwhile my buddy's Keens gripped fine the whole way. I get that every foot is different, but is brand loyalty just habit or does it actually mean something when conditions get rough? I'm curious if anyone else switched after one bad outing, or if you stick it out and give the brand another shot. What makes you finally jump ship?

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thea85723d ago

Remember that Merrells are usually Vibram soles and Vibram is a separate company from the shoe maker. The rubber compound can change between batches and models, so it's not always the brand letting you down. I had a pair of Keens that were awesome on wet granite, then the next pair with the same sole name was garbage on dewy grass. You might just have gotten a bad batch, not a bad brand. Worth checking the specific sole model on your old boots vs the new ones before you write Merrell off completely.