New shoes

Merrell Moab Ventilator hiking shoes

With the increased amount of walking I've been doing these past few months, and with winter approaching, it was time to get some new shoes. The choices were overwhelming, and I'd read tons of reviews of different brands. In the end, I plumped for some Moab Ventilators from Merrell. With an average Amazon rating of 4.5 stars, and 2,365 reviews, they are very popular; and they were available locally at our Base Camp ("Gear for the Great Outdoors") store, where I was able to try them on for size.

In the past, I've always struggled when buying new shoes. They never usually fit perfectly, or I resent having to spend so much money for them (I've actually had a lot of success in the past with $3 pre-owned shoes from the Goodwill store). This time, I saw what I wanted, I knew my size, and the first time I tried them on it was like a scene from a Cinderella movie. The fit was perfect.

Knowing that I am going to have a lot of hiking to do locally in preparation for my PCT adventure, I also bought a trail map of the Helena South Hills. This morning I walked up Buttercup Hill just up the street from where I live. The shoes performed really well, as expected, with no heel or toe rubbing or other discomfort. It was only a short hike, but a good initial test in the real world.