Note: this item was sent for review.
When I saw these on Meermin’s site, I knew I needed to check them out. I’ve been wanting a boot of this style for some time, and the pricing looked outstanding for what was being offered. I’ve had these for a few weeks now, and I’ve found them to be excellent all around boots. The pair shown here are the Black Calf colorway, but Meermin offers Tobacco Waxy Calf, Brown Scotchgrain, and Green Thibet (and a few more coming soon).
I am still putting these through their paces, but it’s winter and that’s when these boots shine, so I wanted to share some initial thoughts.
Materials & Construction
The overall fit and construction of these look perfect to my eye. The black leather is much shinier than expected when you first unbox them, and luxuriously soft — which is not what you might expect from a boot of this style. The sole is a commando lug sole, and is rugged but soft in construction. There’s a horsehide lining which is immediately comfortable and hugs your foot.
Meermin created a new Ultraflex System for this boot, and here’s how they describe it:
Incorporating our innovative Ultraflex System Construction, these boots offer a perfect balance of support and flexibility. The system intelligently distributes pressure points, ensuring optimal comfort and preventing fatigue even during long hours of wear. With steel shanks incorporated into the build, these boots provide additional stability and arch support, promoting proper foot alignment.
My description: comfortable like a sneaker.
Wearing Them
These boots came at a good time, the weather is cold, it snowed — there was slush and some mud to deal with after the snow. I have been averaging about 3 miles of walking in these boots each time I lace them up.
Through all of that, these have been some of the most comfortable boots I own. There’s nice flex in these boots, and while they have a steel shank, they feel more like a sneaker when you wear them than most of the other boots I own.
The commando sole offers excellent grip in snow, mud, and slush. While offering an average level of grip on icy surfaces. I had no issues stomping through the elements to get my kids from school, and found that these have quickly become my first to grab boots when I head out the door.
The style is classic, but the leather on the ones I have is a very high polish black. Even after weeks of being put through its paces, they still look shiny. I don’t mind the look, but it does make them a little more selective with how and what you pair them with in this Black Calf. It adds a touch of ‘fancy’ to things.
The boots come with two pairs of laces, black and maroon, and a thicker set of insoles. The thicker insole adds a lot more cushion to your step, but I found them to make the boot a touch too tight for comfort, so I stuck with the thinner insole. The maroon laces are my thing for sure, and I immediately swapped those into the eyelets.
The boot is a bit narrower visually with a slightly more pointed toe, than what you might find from a traditional hiking brand. This helps keep the boot from looking too clunky on your foot, though it does limit some of the wiggle room you might have in the toe box. It’s a solid trade off for a boot which will wear better in the city than deep in the woods on a trail.
So Far
Early days still, but I really like these boots. They are comfortable and easy to wear. While Meermin calls them their hiking boot, I am unsure I would wear them hiking. At the same time, I do spend about 3 miles per day walking in them, so I suspect they would do just fine on any of the day hikes I normally take. I’ll be sure to test these on a proper hike prior to a more full review.
They are priced well, look good, and re damned comfortable. More to come…