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 made up of suede leather and mesh, with an EVA midsole, a nylon shank, and a Vibram TC5+ outsole.

Performance Comparison

The Ventilator dominates the competition in terms of purchase on dry rocks.

Photo: Jenna Ammerman

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.

Taking a break from hiking in Smith Rock State Park in the Moab 2 Ventilators.

Photo: Jenna Ammerman

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. For the lacing system, we prefer other designs that allow for more precise adjustments (tight or loose) throughout the upper. This shoe is quite breathable through its mesh, waterproof membrane-free upper, making it more pleasant in warm weather.

This shoe is comfortable, but the lacing system doesn't allow for a precise fit of the upper.

Photo: Jenna Ammerman

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.

Weighing more than most of the competition, these shoes are not a great choice if you like trail hikes to turn into trail runs.

Photo: Jenna Ammerman

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 has a rather low ankle collar, too, 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.

Wet, mossy rocks and roots are of little concern in the traction-triumphant Ventilators.

Photo: Jenna Ammerman

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. Like the Best Buy-winner, 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. in your shoes.

These shoes don't mix with water well, but that's not what they're intended to do.

Photo: Jenna Ammerman

Durability

Several of our testers have had Merrell shoes and boots that last a long time. The quality is there. The Ventilator can withstand a lot of trail abuse, and with a bit of care, should last you hundreds of miles. 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.

If you live in a dry climate and frequently go on day hikes, these shoes are a solid scoop.

Photo: Jenna Ammerman

Value

This shoe brings solid value to the table but is edged out by some of its competition.

When a shoe has awesome comfort and traction, it's hard to complain too much.

Photo: Jenna Ammerman

Conclusion