Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator Review

The Moab 2 Ventilator shoe is a fine hiking shoe for short, moderate ventures. It doesn't have a waterproof membrane and therefore is not for encounters with water. The thick upper is suede leather and mesh, with an EVA midsole, a nylon shank, and a Vibram TC5+ outsole.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

There isn't much of a break-in period with these shoes. Our testers took them straight from the box to the trail. The spacious foot box didn't produce any pressure points or hot spots on the feet of our reviewers, but our feet did slip around a bit inside. The fit is looser than typical hiking shoes in this review.

The laces are thick and rounded like a cord. Our testers found that the laces came untied faster than other models. Of course, you can always swap out the laces for better ones. We prefer other designs that allow for more precise adjustments (tight or loose) throughout the upper for the lacing system. This shoe is quite breathable through its mesh, waterproof membrane-free upper, making it more pleasant in warm weather.

Weight

The Ventilator is one of the heavier hiking shoes reviewed. Some of the hiking boots we reviewed weighed less than this pair of shoes. On the trail, though, you likely won't notice the extra weight until you pound out a lot of mileage.

Support

The support offered by the Ventilator is sufficient for light hiking needs. It has a wide forefoot to increase balance when powering off your forefoot, coupled with a flexible forefoot. Like its waterproof sibling, the insole is one of the beefier ones among the competition. Despite its nylon shank between the mid and outsole, this shoe provides only moderate torsional rigidity, though. It also has a rather low ankle collar, which doesn't help protect ankles.

Day hikes with a minimal pack of water, snacks, and camera are where this shoe shines. Hikers with seasoned, strong ankles can use this model for overnight adventures and medium packs with these shoes, but even seasoned veterans will want more support for hikes lasting several days or more.

Traction

This shoe grips most surfaces well, providing some of the best results at the end of our traction tests. It features the same outsole as other Merrell footwear, the TC5+ from Vibram. It hugs dry and wet rock as if it were a dear friend and performs about as well as any other shoe in mud and snow. It didn't eat loose sediment underfoot for breakfast but didn't leave us out to dry in scree fields either. Its overall traction is just a bit below the top performers tested.

Versatility

The Ventilator is a capable light to moderate hiker. It doesn't excel in any single application, but it holds its own on pretty much any day hike. Its weight and bulk don't encourage picking up the pace to a jog, but that's not an important factor to all hikers. It's also not our first choice for backpacking trips lasting more than a couple of days.

Water Resistance

The Ventilator does not have a waterproof membrane, which means that when submerged, water flows in quickly. It also wets out quickly when walking through wet fauna. This relegates this shoe to hikes when dry weather is assured. The waterproof version of this shoe didn't prove much better in wet conditions, as it leaked in our water resistance tests, despite its built-in waterproof liner. If you frequently hike in wet weather or on soggy trails, you are better off with better to go with a more battle-tested waterproof membrane.

Durability

Several of our testers have had Merrell shoes and boots last a long time. The quality is there. The Ventilator can withstand a lot of trail abuse and should last you hundreds of miles with a bit of care. The leather overlays protect the breathable mesh in the upper from wearing through, and the outsole showed no signs of wear following our testing period. One complaint, though, is that the seams in the forefoot are not double-stitched, which is what we prefer in high flex areas.

Should You Buy the Ventilator?

This is a good hiking shoe. We appreciate its bomber traction on and off the trail, and its level of comfort from Day One is awesome. If you need a pair of hikers that you can unbox and immediately hit the trail with, these are a great option. Nailing two of the most important criteria for this category, great traction, and comfort, this shoe is impressive. It is a testament to the quality of hiking shoes included in this review that such a solid hiker like the Ventilator falls to the middle of the pack. This shoe brings solid value to the table but is edged out by some of its competition.

What Other Hiking Shoes Should You Consider?

While the attraction to a low-priced shoe from a quality brand is intriguing, we think this review has better options. The North Face Ultra 111 WP is our budget pick, and it scores higher overall than the Merrell. With better test results for traction and versatility, we think it is the better choice as comfort and weight are about the same. You also get some water resistance which the Merrell doesn't have. If you can afford a little more for your hiking shoes, the Salomon X Ultra 4 Gore-Tex is the better shoe and one of our highest ranking options. It offers more in every metric we tested, including comfort and traction.