Merrell Men's Moab 2 Mid GTX Hiking Boot (12)

I went to the Roan Highlands in NC last month with my Merrell Blaze Aeros which are great water hiking shoes but failed at rocky mountain hikes because my ankles were rolling and twisting like crazy so I knew I needed more support. I got some Columbias but they were stiff and just didnt feel right. These Merrels matched the color and style of my Blaze so I took the plunge and got them. I literally could not shut up about these boots the entire hike. As you can see, my boyfriend was wearing sneakers and I had to walk ahead of him to let him know when something was muddy or wet, he was not a happy camper (literally) and I will be getting him some Merrells for our next hike. I did 2 days and about 15 miles on the Blue Ridge mountains, completed the Sam Knob mountain and Flat Laurel creek trails so these boots saw it all. This trail had lots of mud, rocks, climbs, and water. These boots took it all like a champ including fully submerging them in mud and creeks and they stayed completely dry and look brand new, I was absolutely blown away. The inserts are a bit too thin and tough for my taste so I replaced them with some Vomii memory foam insoles and it was the bees knees. The support is there, the grip is there, the style is there and they are comfy right out of the box. By the end of the hike my ankle did hurt a little but that's normal when breaking in new boots, especially when hiking such uneven and rocky terrain. I normally wear a 9-9.5 but I listened to the reviews and got a 10 and I'm glad I did because anything smaller would have been tight especially around the toe box especially because I wear them with thick Darn Tough socks. I love these boots so much I couldn't stop raving about them and said the first thing I would do when I got back home was write a review on them. Thank you Merrell for making the best hiking boots ever and best of all, they cost way less than the Salewas I was going to get.