GearFlogger

Merrell Freewheel 2 Shoe

Merrell has been making shoes a long time, and we've been right there with them. We have a pair of their original slip-on leather clogs that just hit twenty years old, and the sole is just finally starting to separate. That's after two decades of serious abuse, and never bothering to perform even the most basic of maintenance. So we were psyched to try out a new pair of Merrell Freewheel 2 shoes, and... well, it's a mixed bag, so read on.

We were looking for a shoe that could walk all day and would pair equally well with shorts or slacks. Seduced by the sexy pictures on their website, we took a chance and ordered up a pair of Freewheels in kangaroo brown. They showed up a few days later - without the advertised free shipping, because we always get screwed on that here in Alaska - and we eagerly popped open the shoebox. That's when buyer's remorse set in: we saw immediately that the glueline attaching the feather edge of the upper to the sole - the transition between the brown leather and the beige rubber in the picture - was spotty. In plain english, it looked like crap.

The glueline was bad on both the left and right shoes, in different ways. It took what was otherwise a handsome shoe and made it look like it was about to fall apart. Initial bad impression aside, we did try on the shoe indoors for a day and to be fair, it is really light and comfortable to walk in. We have no doubt it would have been a great traveling companion, if the sole stayed attached, but we just couldn't hang with such spotty quality on a $100 shoe. So, back to Merrell it goes.

We should note the Freewheel 2 is designed to be a flat pedal shoe, and while we didn't get any bike time in on it, we're hoping in the future Merrell fixes the quality issue so we can try again.

$105.00 at Merrell

Merrell Winterlude 6 women's boots

OK, I'll give it up: cool name for a cool - but dry, warm kind of cool - women's boot from Merrell. The Winterlude 6 is a waterproof winter boot that makes snow days into sporting days.

The Winterlude helps you stay light on your feet at 2.5lb for a pair. The molded thermoplastic urethane and leather uppers are notched for snowshoe straps,and the EVA midsoles, Ortholite footbeds and Air Cushion heel pockets ensure easy striding in hard conditions. The insides have a special anti-skank treating, and the padded tongue and collar spread the lace pressure evenly.

The Winterlude is serious about toasting your tootsies, with Polartec 200 insulation over 200g of PrimaLoft insulation. To top it off, the Active Heat insoles feature some kind of magic silver lining to prevent conductive heat loss to the cold, cold ground. What's it all add up to? A -25F comfort rating that will ring true for most women. Add a pair of gaiters for deep snow and you're good to go.

$110.00 at REI

Merrell gives away free gear for a good cause

Merrell has recently teamed up with the National Park Foundation (NPF) to help promote widespread appreciation of the outdoors. Merrell and the NPF’s shared goal is to work together on a long-term basis to educate and motivate people of all ages and activity levels to get outside and play in our national outdoor playgrounds.

In July Merrell donated $10 to the NPF for every $100 sold. Starting July 17th, Merrell sponsored a contest with the aim of disseminating our love for our national playgrounds. The grand prize for this contest is a one-year free pass to all the National Parks for a family and a whole wardrobe of Merrell footwear and apparel to assure that these adventures are as enjoyable as possible.

To take part, all readers need to do is visit Merrell’s Facebook Fan Page and post their favorite National Park story in 150 words or less on our Wall. Participants are encouraged to include pictures or videos of their previous outdoor adventures  The stories receiving the most “thumbs up” will win.

Merrell's Facebook Fan Page

Merrell Carbon jacket

True GearFloggers have the same reaction to the word carbon as they do to titanium; both must be zug-zugged on site, like Barbara Bach in Caveman. Merrell's Carbon jacket is not actually made from carbon, but it is a really nice little hard shell that I'm pleased to say fully removes the bad taste of their Morph from my mouth. Must be the mouthwash color, actually a very pleasant saturated green that looks much better live than in pictures.

The Carbon is 100% backcountry compliant, a handsome little 13.7oz piece of waterproof Gore-Tex Paclite that embodies true minimalist spirit: Three zippered pockets include two for hands and, for some reason contrary to some reviews I've seen, there is an interior mesh pocket as well, generously sized with an elastic sub-pocket for music players and a cord port. The hood stows away neatly for about-town use, but note that it's not helmet-compatible. The brim is nice and stiff so it'll stay out of your grill.

Adjustments include one-way down-to-open pit zips (you'll want to add zipper pulls), rip-and-stick cuffs, and drawcord hood and hem. Paclite is an excellent choice for light weight, compact storage and waterproof/breathable performance. Quibbles are minor: Paclite is less expensive but sacrifices some durability compared to Gore-Tex Pro Shell, the hand pockets ride under a pack hip belt and there's no zipper garage (there is a full length zipper flap). Those design choices and the non-helmet compatible hood make it not appropriate for hard alpine use, but for travel, light to medium duty fastpacking and high-output aerobic activity the Merrell Carbon is a great choice.

$228.95 at Backcountry

Merrell Morph jacket

Merrell makes awesome footwear, so you'd think they could translate that expertise into apparel. You'd be disappointed. The Merrell Morph jacket is an abomination in the eyes of dog. Wait, that doesn't sound right...

Merrell makes a classic mistake in trying to produce an all-in-one device. The Morph has removable hood and sleeves, and everything is reversible, so technically it's an 18-in-1 piece. Seriously. Have a couple beers and do the math. What you really have is a jacket or vest, with a hood or without, and you can mix and match the facing. One face is a smooth nylon and the other a soft polyester with a jersey look and feel.

The overall look is 1980s Member's Only; it's not quite ugly, just outdated. With all the zippers and snaps required it's a heavy jacket at 1lb 11oz for a men's medium. Even the sizing falls short, literally: the sleeves will be too tight and short for most men who wear a medium. Performance is compromised pretty much across the board; it doesn't breathe or wick well, and will only shed a very light rain. Mabye a budget-crunched college student looking for something to wear to class might look twice at the Morph, but it should stay out of the backcountry. What can I say? Back to the drawing board, Merrell.

$129.00 at Merrell