4/21/26

Worn Out. Merrell Moab Speed 2 Mid Gore-Tex - 850 mile review

This is what the Moab Speed 2 looks like after 850 miles. For the first 200 miles, the Gore-Tex fabric made these legitimately waterproof. Between 200 and 350 miles, they became less and less waterproof. And at 350 miles, the fabric started tearing. So, for over half the life of these shoes, all the Gore-Tex did was sit there and look pretty, which it kind of does look cool. I guess style points count for something. The second part of these shoes to blow out was the midsole. Merrell calls it "Float Pro Foam." And they're even kind enough to include a totally useless bit of it as the insole from the factory. Lucky for me, there's companies out there that make nice aftermarket insoles, and those have done the trick the whole time. But the past 100 miles, my feet, knees, and back are in pain after just a mile or two of wearing these, even with fancy insoles. And that's how you know. Surprisingly, one part of the shoe that still has some life left in it is the Vibram TC5 outsole. It has these super aggressive "Traction Lugs" in the sole. And I thought when I looked at these, boy, those are going to wear out quick cause they're just so far spaced apart. But it's really remarkable how well it's held up. Even with low tread left like this, I still get excellent traction on just about every surface. So... Vibram. Aside from the Gore-Tex fabric failing relatively early on, the upper has withstood all of the beatings I've thrown at it and I think it still looks great. Even the high wear parts on the inside of the shoe are holding together just fine. The overall quality of the Moab Speed 2 is excellent. From out of the box to now, there hasn't been one stitch that's failed or one part of the shoe that's given me any kind of trouble. They're just comfortable, awesome, old school Merrell quality. And it's a shame that these shoes aren't more repairable or something because so much of them is still just as good as they were whenever they were new. But that's the world we live in. So, I guess the next stop for these is the landfill. I have to pick those up. I'm probably not going to throw these away. I'm just going to hold on to them for 10 years and they're just going to gather dust in my basement and then someone else will throw them away for me. If you're into outdoor gear, check out my channel because I do a new video every week. But I'm stoked you're here and I'll see you next time. Goodbye.

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