Do yourself a favor and don't even think of buying these boots. I wish I had received such a warning before committing so much money on such a *terrible* pair of boots. As a backpacker who likes to seek out rocky, often snowy routes in the West, I was impressed by the sturdy tough look of the Montrails. I expected to break these boots in gradually over time; that's to be expected with chunky boots like these. However, after having tried to do so for over a year now, the only thing I have managed to do is break in my feet. The heel lock designed to keep your heel in place is particularly dreadful. Every time I wear them, my heel is torn to shredded wheat. Needless to say, I feel like a heel for having first shelled out $220 and also for putting myself through a backpacking nightmare for the last year. Blisters continue to crop up on the sides and top of my feet as well. I, having "tough" feet, and having bought several pairs of boots, heavy weights included, have never had trouble with blisters before. In addition, the weight of these boots is not well balanced. I often feel a lot of strain in my calves as though I am hauling around cinderblocks. On a positive note, writing this has inspired me to take my beef to the store that sold me these monstrosities and hopefully return them. Also, I hopefully have helped someone else avoid a similar mistake.

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As a ranger in a California wilderness area, I put these boots to the test with over 200 miles last season over the granite and rough trails of the Sierra. Unlike their predecessors, the One Sport Moraine, these boots were very difficult to break in. On the other hand, I didn't have the separation problems I'd had with the One Sports. Leather shrinkage remained a problem with multiple stream crossings, even with the precaution of air drying the boots well away from any heat source, and stuffed with newspaper. The boots have very good granite gripping ability, but I had to tape my heels regularly throughout the season to contend with heel hotspots. I was a diehard fan of the old One Sport Moraines (although I had to replace the boots yearly due to wear) because of their comfort and nonexistent break-in time. Montrail's attempt at upgrading those boots to be longer lasting, more supportive and tougher was successful, but at the expense of comfort. Regrettably, I'll be changing brands for next season.

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Anyone considering the Moraine (or *any* Heavy Duty Backpacking boot) Please read this:

First of all Montrail probably makes some of the best boots in the industry from the standpoint of craftsmanship. But one common characteristic all of their boots share is that the fit narrow feet with high arches best.

IMPORTANT: if you have wide, flat feet, these boots probably won't work well for you. The Moraine in particular has a heavily sculpted heel box, which is designed to meet the contours of your heel like a glove. But if you have wide heels it may dig into them instead, causing pain and blisters. (incidentally Zamberlan is one of the brands that fits wide feet better, as well as Vasque, which makes boots in W widths).

SECOND: If you buy any boot either from mail order or from a salesperson who is not skilled at fitting boots you are basically playing blister roulette. If you see a killer deal on a pair of boots in a catalog or the 'net, do your self a favor and find a local outfitter where you can get a good fitting before you buy.

THIRD: I would be willing to bet that 90% of the people complaining about heel blisters from the Moraine bought them a month or less before they used them. A Boot like the Moraine takes at least 2 months of everyday wear to break in properly. Compare that to break in times as minimal as 1 week for "midweight" backpacking boots such as the Vasque Sundowner or simiar models. This the way it goes with heavy weight boots, if you cannot break them in time they will mangle your feet. Period. Provided it is properly fit and broken in these boots will provide a lifetime of comfortable wear. But if you are not going out for more than a week, or carrying less than 40 lb loads, you probably do not need such a heavyweight boot. Avoid the temptation of buying more boot than you need just because it looks cool. Trust me, noone cares.

The Moraines are great boots, probably some of the best out there. I hate to see them get knocked because of inexperienced buyers.

Get out there!

Rattled.

Customer Service

Montrail has some of the best CS in the industry, right up there with Marmot and Patagonia.

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Merrel Grand Traverse, Asolo 535, Raichle Spirits, Montrail Vercoirs, La Sportiva Makalu.

Great boot once it gets broken in. AS others have said, it takes a while to break in. For me it took the first 8 days of a 23 day Outward Bound trip before my feet toughened up and the boot softened up enough so that I wasn't get horrible heel blisters or blisters on my big toe. Great ankle support when carrying heavy (50+ lbs.) loads. Wore them in the mountains as well as the desert. Good waterproofness for stream crossings or rain. THe best feature of this boot, however, is the Vibram sole. They were super sticky on any kind of rock. I felt like I could walk up a verticle wall with them on.

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I really like this boot. It took a while to break in, and I had some nasty blisters at first (especially uphill climbs). Now, though, they've soften and I love the durability, waterproofness, and firm support.

If you're in the market for a medium to heavy boot for heavy loads (40+), these should be a definite consideration.

Customer Service

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Best all around boots I've ever had. I bought them late summer and have over 120 miles on them. Several trips in the Adirondacks thru the famous black mud, wet and snowy conditions and turned out to be VERY waterproof.
Some problems with heel hot spots, which I usually don't get, but a strip of duct tape on the inside heel eliminated that. Very good traction and grip on rock surfaces. Good boot for rough conditions with a full pack, but I wouldn't use them for flat trail walking.

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Raichle Mountain Guide
Scarpa

Without a doubt the best purchase I have made on outdoor gear. I quickly came to understand the importance of comfortable pack and boots, and while I am not so sure about the pack, I scored big time on the boots. In fact, I really did not even need to break them in. They were really comfortable out of the box, and once I got used to the extra weight (after wearing nothing but running shoes for everday use) they now seem to be the ideal all around footwear. Good traction, support, and with Nikwax nearly entirely waterproof. Even Montrail doesn't claim that their boots will fit everyone, but these boots are definitely worth looking in to. My only regret is that after a few months of searching and waiting I was only able to find them for $10 less than retail price.

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Lighter weight Vasque boots (Clarion Impact). The Moraine AT's are vastly superior.