Hiking? Check. Trail run? Sure. Race? Why not. Work? Absolutely. Road Running? No problem. These are my impression of Merrell Women’s Moab FST Waterproof. My Moab FST comes in Boulder colour, which is a perfect blend of brown, grey and magenta.
For me, brown and grey represent the characteristic of tough women, while magenta embodies women’s feminist side engraved deep inside their soul. It’s not only the colour that I like about my Moab FST.
I like that I can practically do almost everything in them. First and foremost, Moab FST is built for hiking and trail adventures, two things that I really love besides running.
Despite being a hiking shoe, it is so lightweight and comfortable that it becomes a great choice for running. And it certainly provides all the support I need for my daily life activities, such as working and exploring the city on foot.
Comfort, Fit, and Versatility
From the first moment I put on the shoes, my feet immediately felt at home. The molded nylon arch shank and air cushion in the heel offer serious comfort in various terrains. Oh, by the way, I didn’t break in the shoes in advance, I wore them out of the box, and my feet were free from blisters at the end of the day. No discomfort whatsoever.
Frankly, as a rather short woman, I find myself delighted at the fact that the thick soles give me additional height, I look taller in this shoes than I actually am! At the weight of 520 grams (full pair weight of size 6), the shoes are lightweight enough to be used for running.
The shoes fit me well. I still have some room at the toe box. The mesh lining doesn’t suffocate my feet. Organic odour control is executed well by Merrell M Select™ FIT.ECO blended EVA contoured footbed.
The flexible soles, however, tend to flex when passing through rugged terrain. Stiffness is traded with comfort and flexibility.
Performance of Waterproof Feature
Curious with how well the waterproof feature performs, I immersed them into a pail of water. When the water level was within the webbing loops (the straps which the lace runs through), my feet stayed dry, well protected by the waterproof membrane.
As I increased the water level until it reached the eyelets, water started seeping into the inside of shoes. The waterproof membrane actually seals the tongue and the upper up to 4 webbing loops only; beyond that, water seeps through the gap between tongue and upper.
A Multi-Functional Shoes
I had worn the shoes for different activities. I went hiking and trail running at Macritchie Reservoir and was satisfied with the overall performance. The comfort and lightness are two of my favourite features of the shoes.
When I wore them in the urban setting, I felt comfortable all day. The only downside was its poor performance on oily and wet tiles. But not all tiles are the same, thus not all wet tiles are slippery. I make a mental note to be careful walking on wet tiles.
I also wore this for the recent Salomon X-Trail Run. It did great on all terrains, even on mud. Unfortunately, it didn’t survive ankle-deep puddles. I ran with wet feet for more than half of the race. But I had to admit that water drained out of the shoes pretty well. The weight of the shoes was not overly compromised even though it was wet. This proves Moab FST’s capability in trail run is respectable.
Runner’s Boon
- It has great performance for various terrains and for different activities.
- There are 4 great colours for you to choose from: Beet Red, Boulder, Granite and Sea Pine.
- Equipped with M Select™ DRY technology, it wicks moisture and sweat out of the shoes and provides breathability for your feet.
- The waterproof performance is satisfactory. Even if water comes in from above of the shoes’ collar, the water drains out quickly.
- At the price of S$179, it is pretty reasonable for a pair of multi-functional shoes with waterproof feature.
Runner’s Bane
- The flexible soles might not be stiff enough for the rockiest terrains.
- As with any low cut shoes, your ankles are exposed and not supported.
- There’s a complaint from a user that she got blisters on her feet after wearing the shoes right out of the box, without breaking in, and walking for close to 10 km. Personally, I wore the shoes out of the box too, did some hiking and trail running, and didn’t develop any blisters.
Conclusion
I’ve been looking for shoes that I can wear for different occasions. Merrell Women’s Moat FST Waterproof fulfils my expectation well. I could go on outdoor adventures exploring and connecting with nature. I could also use it in the urban jungle, exploring the cities doing full day walking without any discomfort.
It is one of those rare shoes that I want to wear everywhere I go.
The Merrell MOAB FST collection is available at Stadium Takashimaya S.C. and all Royal Sporting House stores. (Excluding outlet stores – Bedok Mall, Cathay Cinesleisure, Changi City Point, IMM and The Star Vista) for S$179 – S$239.
