Merrell hiking shoes take you from sidewalk to summit. The Moab is the world’s best-selling hiker with over 10 million pairs sold worldwide.
We have a soft spot for Merrell because it made hiking feel approachable. The company started in 1981 in Vermont, where a custom boot maker named Randy Merrell was handcrafting a few dozen pairs a year before joining forces with partners to scale the operation. Today Merrell is one of the biggest names in trail footwear, and its flagship claim is simple: the Moab, with more than 10 million pairs sold, is widely called the best-selling hiking shoe on the planet. That stat sounds like marketing until you notice how many people on any given trail are wearing them. Merrell hiking shoes straddle the line between sidewalk and summit, which is exactly why we keep pointing new hikers toward them. Here’s what makes the lineup worth checking out, based on a couple of hundred trail miles of our own.
The Moab 3: A 10-Million-Pair Pedigree
The Moab 3 is the latest chapter in the most successful hiking shoe story in the industry. It combines a supportive EVA midsole with the Vibram TC5+ outsole, a rubber compound co-developed with Vibram that grips wet rock and muddy descents far better than its price suggests. Merrell also cleaned up the build: the bulky arch-support inserts of older models are gone, replaced by a design that lets your foot move more naturally — testers describe it as a barefoot-ish feel that keeps its cushioning. We’ve put roughly 200 miles on our pair across gravel, slick clay, and a few unnecessarily deep stream crossings, and they’ve held up with nothing more than scuffs. At $120 to $140, the Moab 3 undercuts comparable models from Salomon or KEEN by $40 to $60, which makes it the default answer for weekend hikers and day-trippers. Retailers call it the shoe that sells itself, and after a decade of recommending it, we get why.
Moab Speed and Jungle Moc: Versatility Beyond the Classic
The Moab family doesn’t end with the original. The Moab Speed is Merrell’s lightweight trail shoe — a hiker-engineered runner with a rock plate and sticky outsole, built for people who like to move fast on uneven ground. We wear ours for trail runs and quick day hikes, and the change from the clunky boots we used to wear was a revelation. Then there’s the Jungle Moc, a slip-on that doesn’t look like a hiking shoe until you check the sole: its M-Select Grip outsole handles slick parking lots, wet decks, and casual trail sections without drama. That versatility is Merrell’s superpower — the same brand that makes serious trekking footwear also makes the shoe you can kick off at the door. Compared with Salomon’s aggressive styling or KEEN’s wide-toe focus, Merrell sits in the practical middle: less flashy, and it fits more of your life.
Sales, Clearance, and Timing
Merrell hiking shoes go on sale constantly, which is great news if you time it right. Sitewide discounts appear around major holidays, and past-season Moab colorways routinely drop 30 percent or more on clearance. The most common sizes — men’s 10.5 and women’s 8 — always sell out first, so if you see your size discounted, grab it that day instead of waiting for a deeper cut. One honest note: Merrell refreshes models roughly every two years, so clearance stock is real but finite. If you’ve been putting off new trail footwear, the gap between Merrell’s prices and its premium rivals has rarely been wider — this is the easiest upgrade of the season.
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Final Thoughts
Merrell hiking shoes earned their place at the top through consistency: comfortable out of the box, affordable, and tough enough for years of regular use. From the legendary Moab 3 to the surprisingly capable Jungle Moc, there’s a pair for every level of hiker. If you’ve never owned a dedicated hiking shoe, or your current pair has seen better days, checking out Merrell first will save you money and blisters. And with the current markdowns, there’s no real reason to keep waiting. Your feet will know the difference by mile one.