Merrell's latest shoe, the Merrell Chameleon promises to give you a dry walk no matter what the conditions, but does it? We get hiking to find out.
Our quick take
The Merrell Chameleon Wrap Ventilator is a very comfortable shoe that works well in most situations, but especially on walks either in the forest or up a hill side. The lightweight, but durable construction should mean that it will last while still offering enough protection against the elements.
We did experience some grip issues meaning we can't recommend this for every situation outside of its core remit, but other wise good stuff from Merrell.
This product was kindly loaned to us by
Merrell Chameleon Wrap Ventilator walking shoe - 3.5 / 5
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A cross between a trail runner and a multi-sport shoe, the Merrell Chameleon Wrap Ventilator is a lightweight shoe that comes in a variety of colours to suit your walking attire.
The core construction of the design is a Pigskin leather upper over a breathable mesh lining. Coasted with Gore-Tex it means that your feet stay dry without getting too hot as water doesn't penetrate the outer skin.
The sole is Merrell's now standard Vibram Chameleon Sport Sole and this provides good grip on most terrain, but not so great in the city.
If you are looking to use this shoe as a regular about town offering its something to bear in mind. We experienced issues with slippery train station concourses within our tests. Out in the field however and they work fine.
Lightweight, the Merrell's are comfortable to wear with plenty of padding both on the inner sole and around the angle giving ample support.
The shoe has a slightly higher ridge than most running trainers, for the extra support, and although this is comfortable 90% of the time it would be advisable to wear thicker rather than thinner socks as again we found wearing thinner socks allowed us to feel the ridge every so often.
To recap
The Merrell Chameleon Wrap Ventilator is a very comfortable shoe that works well in most situations