Product Review Merrell Capra

Here’s my product review Merrell Capra.

Urban and Trail Walking

I am a professional walker who leads group walks in urban areas, mostly in Denver. I travel on asphalt, concrete, packed snow, loose snow, ice, pebbles, and dirt while also in all types of precipitation from pouring rain to sleet and snow. Having a durable, comfortable, waterproof and reliable shoe is very important to me. While looking for my shoes, I purchased and walked in the following waterproof versions of these shoes:

Merrell Moab
Vasque Talus Trek
Salomon X Ultra Low
Keen Targhee

Thank God for REI’s return policy. I returned every one of these shoes due to fit. Specifically, none of these shoes could get past the 4-5 mile mark with me for comfort. I either returned them for slippage on the heel, tightness on the width of my foot, or lack of arch support. Finally, I found the shoe that worked for my size 8, wide (but not Wide in size) foot, the Merrell Capra.

My Body and Feet

My foot is not really unusual. It’s wide, but not a Wide shoe. I have short toes and a narrow heel, but neither characteristic requires special shoes. My arch is normal. I walk about a 18:30 minute mile, I’m 5’4″ and I weigh too much, but not that much too much.

Comfort Begins at 5 Miles

When walking in all of these shoes, they all were comfortable at the beginning, but at the 4-5 mile mark, discomfort would begin. Only the Merrell Capra made it past this crucial distance. I have comfortably walked in my Merrells 7-10 miles, up and down all types of terrain, in and out of Machu Picchu, and even in warm environments. They love the rain, puddles, snow pack and slushy areas. They are NOT good on ice, which I leave to my Korkers.

They fit best and feel most comfortable with a medium weight sock. I prefer the Bombas ankle height sock in cotton (I’m allergic to wool.) Thinner socks, such as those 6-pack socks you find in big box stores, tend to make the shoe go uncomfortable quicker.

I love the wrap around toe bumpers, which have saved my big toe more than once on the rock and pebble paths. The tread on the shoe is perfect for most weather conditions, and I find myself sure-footed in all situations but ice.

Dragonfly?

My one complaint about my Capras is that they are simply ugly. I have the Dragonfly green with orange shoe laces. I know that they come in other colors, but REI only had the Dragonfly color and I needed some shoes. If I were to buy them again, I’d wait and get the Wild Plum. Finally, as winter starts to de-thaw, I’ll be thinking about my fair weather shoes. So far, I love the Keen sandals, but I’m open for suggestions.

Get Merrell Capras

Final product review Merrell Capra: I give the Merrell Capra an A-. They are better than any other shoe out there, I love that they are waterproof, durable, and fit great. I wish they weren’t mostly suede, and I wish mine weren’t so ugly.

Editorial Note:

As of 2016, I have left my Capras and gone to the Keen Targhee II. Blog post to follow shortly. Although I do think Capras are a good shoe, I find Keen to have better service and support of its product line.