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just hiked a small mountain in these. steep up. these shoes hug your feet with comfortable support. I felt confident rock hopping dry. they do tend to be not so grippy when wet. I lose my confidence in their safety and take it very gently when they are wet (sadly. thought that was what their claim was they they are great and grippy when wet). another drawback is, you do tend to get grit and the occasional rock you want to brush out, so depending on terrain you may or may not be annoyed by that. I wear these often as just every day shoes. so comfortable. Merrell has never done me wrong (except by discontinuing styles I like!) true to size.I needed some water shoes, and my feet aren't going to grow anymore (40yo and no more babies thank you very much) so I wanted to get a proper pair that will work for creeking and rafting/canoeing and swimming in the lake/ocean, but also for playing disc golf with my husband and light trail hiking, and will last for the next 5-10 years at least. I started off by heading to Cabela's (FYI, I have a local Cabela's, Field and Stream, and Duluth all within spitting distance of each other, and out of those three brick and mortars, Cabela's had the best water-hiking-shoes selection, BY FAR). In the store I tried on the KEEN Newport Hydro, the KEEN Whisper (mostly they had KEEN and their store brand, Worldwide Sportsman...or something like that), and a few of their Worldwide Sportsman brand. I did not find any Merrell water-hikers in-store (at any of the stores). Anyway, out of the ones I tried at Cabelas, I quickly decided against the Worldwide Sportsman as they did not fit well (loose on my very wide feet, but tight on top and jamming into my leg at the top of my foot). So that left the KEEN. Both the Whisper and the Newport fit well, but I wanted something sturdy and hefty, and the Newport fits the bill on that. If you are looking for cuter and lighter, the Whisper is that. I chose the KEEN Newport Hydro...but they didn't have any in my proper size (size 10 womens, with a wide foot). I bought a half-size down (still fit all right) and went home ($100). I really wanted to try something other than KEEN, so enter Amazon. I proceeded to order the exact same KEEN in my proper size (10) and a different color ($100), the Merrell All-Out Blaze Sieve in a 10 ($75), and the ATIKA All-Terrain Orbital in a 10 ($31). I made sure they all had free returns before purchasing, and waited patiently to try them all before returning the rest. Here are my thoughts on them all:KEEN Newport Hydro***PROS***-Cute-Very sturdy sole-Fits firmly but still has lots of room in the toe box (excellent for wide feet)-Seem to fit okay in my proper size and a half-size down. In fact, when forced to choose, I would choose the half-size down-Larger cut-outs seem as though it would be easier for water to drain from shoe. Didn't try in water so just my assumption-Excellent and substantial toe guard***CONS***-Expensive-Back strap is less comfortable than other options-Heavy***OVERALL OPINION***Great shoe. Comfortable. Heavy. Expensive.Merrell All-Out Blaze Sieve***PROS***-Cute-Fits like a dream-Very sturdy sole-Very comfortable to walk in-Back strap has an extra layer of padding compared to others I tried and it makes a huge difference when walking. Much more pleasant than KEEN-Cheaper than KEEN-Neoprene webbing around foot has less gaps in tongue area compared to the others***CONS***-Not as cute as the KEEN (just my personal taste), but still very very cute-Smaller cutouts compared to KEEN...not sure but my initial assumption is they would take longer to dry than the KEEN when creeking-Not as substantial guard in toe area***OVERALL OPINION***Great shoe. Very comfortable. Pretty expensive.ATIKA All-Terrain Orbital***PROS***-So inexpensive!-Cute-Very comfortable***CONS***-Fit is a bit weird. The bungee on top needed to be tightened a lot to fit on my wide foot, yet they were a touch short. Where the back of the sole comes up to hug your heel was jutting into my heel a bit and while not a big deal, it would likely be a big deal after wearing all day. Would prob need to size up half a size.***OVERALL OPINION***Surprisingly great shoe for the price. If price is your leading factor in deciding, or if your foot is still growing (hey girls your feet get bigger when you have a baby...I used to be a size 8 before my four kids), this would be a great shoe for you.In the end, I'm going with the Merrell. I expected to like the KEEN best, but was surprised at the superior comfort and the sturdiness of the Merrell, and at a cheaper price tag, I'm sold.Great for hiking near water or for everyday useLike the material, it is soft and no rubbing.However the arch support is not enough for me to use these for more than very short walks.While these were comfortable for hiking, water crossings and wet landings, the openings allowed rocks, gravel to get inside. My husband bought the mens version of this shoe which has mesh covering all the openings except the heel area. He did not struggle with rocks getting onto his shoes. I note that Merrill has discontinued this Women’s style. Hopefully they are planning to redesign them with mesh like the Men’s style.I’m overly picky about shoes. I want them to be comfortable, able to wear anywhere and any length of time. One hour or all day right out of the box. It took me months to decide to spend this much. I’m so happy I finally did. Easy to put on, take off, comfortable, don’t hit my toes in any bad way. Not a single blister and I have been using them for a couple months now. Lightweight, yet strong and durable. I don’t feel the ground, just some good comfort and protection around my feet. I believe I bought the wide and they are perfect. I’m definitely sold on Merrill’s.This is my all-time favorite water shoe and I’ve been wearing it for over 12 years. They are getting more and more challenging to find as the design was discontinued by Merrell. It’s a comfortable shoe that can get wet and dries quickly. It is comfortable with or without socks. It conforms to your foot with its stretchy material. It’s slip resistant and great for working or climbing on wet rocks. Very much love this shoe.Wanted a shoe that gave good coverage after being stung by a stingray. These are great quality and very comfortable!Have had two pairs of these so far in my life and only sacked them off because they got faded and scruffy looking - they didn't actually wear out!They fit perfectly and are unbelievably comfortable. You can wear them with or without trainer socks but I find that on a long walk, trainer socks are best. They're especially good on hot days as the in cut-outs in them keep your feet nice and cool.If you go fell walking, scree running or climbing, forget wearing these unless you are absolutely sure of the territory because the elastic at the back is not strong enough to hold them on your feet and they will slide out under pressure or on difficult terrain. Once wore them to climb Coniston Old Man - big mistake! The slate there is incredibly volatile and you need all the traction you can get. My feet slid out of these twice going up Saddlestone Bank and I vowed from then on only to wear my proper walking boots for that particular walk but for every other kind of relatively flat but rough terrain, water adventures or road walking, they are great - can't fault them!Numpty here. I thought they were trainers - should have looked closer but I really wanted the lace fastening and didn't notice that these are more of a sandal with cut outs on the sides and back. I'm keeping them as I love Merrell and these will be great for the summer months.. but still feeling a bit of a numpty... [noticed from the reviews that I am not the only one to make this mistake!]Nearly three and a half years on and they are still my favourite summer shoe - so comfortable.I have to admit I don't do lots of fitness, only dog walking and gardening but these are just so comfortable I now have two pairs in different colours. I have lots of problems with my Achilles but the ankle part is so so soft it doesn't interfere with it at all. I like the fact that your feet can breath whilst wearing them. I would be even more pairs in different colours if I could. Highly recommended.I wasn't a fan of this shoe. For a start, it didn't fit me properly, it felt too big. Also the sole was a hard rubber which I suspect would leave me with blisters in next to no time. Maybe it would be useful for someone who is in an out of wet conditions because the holes at the side would allow water to drain. I wouldn't fancy walking any distance in this shoeNot my cup of tea at all - returned for refund.Really love these , I'm a size 4-5 in shoes but tend to wear a 5 in most walking boots / shoes. This said I've a slim foot so I don't worry about the width. At first I thought they seemed small in length but as I'm not wearing socks this is fine. I'd probably order the 5.5 size next time for a sock allowance .That said they are really light and have a great sole , very nice to walk through the rivers specially in this heat. Would recommend
