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My favorite pair of shoes I’ve ever owned were my Merrell hiking boots. When I got them, I didn’t expect they’d end up traveling the world with me, but they did. They scrambled up slick rock in Moab, crossed rushing streams in Glacier National Park, slogged through humid jungle trails in Chiang Mai and Khao Sok National Park, and gripped the granite cables of Half Dome. Their biggest test came on a rim-to-rim hike in the Grand Canyon, where they carried me down to Phantom Ranch and all the way back out again.
After the trek to Phantom Ranch, they finally gave up the ghost. It felt oddly emotional letting them retire after so many miles and memories, but I’d slipped on steep trails one too many times and decided I needed some fresh tread shortly after our return from the Grand Canyon. I still haven’t had the heart to throw them away.
Now I’m wearing Salomon hiking boots, and they already feel like the start of the next chapter. If you’re choosing between brands, here’s my real-world advice: Merrells are fantastic but run small, so you’ll need to be careful about sizing and maybe go up 1.5-2 sizes. Salomons run true to size and feel supportive right out of the box. Waterproof shoes are wonderful in wet conditions but definitely hotter, so merino wool socks are a must. In both cases, I prefer the hiking “boot” as opposed to the hiking shoe because it stabilizes my ankles.
Honorable mention goes to my Croc flip flops. I wear them almost daily if I can get away with it. I got them specifically for our trip to Thailand because they were comfortable, easy to walk in, and looked nice enough to wear with a sarong. Sometimes I judge a hike by whether I could do it in my Croc flops. If I finish it in them, it’s officially “Croc-flop approved.”
So here’s to the Merrells that carried me across deserts, mountains, and jungles—and the Salomons that are just getting started.
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Packing for Adventure 
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