I Walked All Over New Zealand in Amazon's Best-selling, Comfy Merrell Hiking Shoes — and They're on Sale Today (2024)

New Zealand is a hiker’s paradise, with subtropical trails to the North, steep mountain climbs to the South, and countless miles of meandering track through sheep pastures and fern-cloaked forest. To get the full Aotearoa experience, you have to do some exploring on foot. Needless to say, good walking shoes are a must — and for me, it was the top-selling Merrell Moab 3 Hiking Shoes that kept me comfortable throughout an entire summer of nonstop hiking.

While on my working holiday in New Zealand, I circumnavigated the South Island in a ramshackle campervan, stopping at almost every trailhead to log some miles in my trusty Merrell Moab Shoes. This was before the brand unveiled the improved Moab 2s. Now it’s on its third iteration of the boot, Merrell's Moab 3 shoes are as popular as ever — in fact, both upgraded styles have earned a spot on Amazon's best-selling women's hiking shoes list. It's also worth noting that they've been massively marked down during Amazon's Presidents Day sale (think: up to 61 percent off).

Merrell Women's Moab 3 Hiking Shoes

What's more, the Merrell Moab 3 Hiking Shoes are one of the comfiest hiking boots that Travel + Leisure editors have tested. They carry on the Moab tradition of remarkable grippiness and lasting support with their Vibram rubber outsoles, cushioned footbeds, and breathable uppers that altogether lend to comfort on the very first wear. I picked up my original Moabs shortly before flying from Los Angeles to Auckland without doing much preliminary research and broke them in on challenging climbs and multi-day hikes.

I managed to walk miles each day without being plagued by blisters. The boots accompanied me on river crossings and craggy scrambles in the Southern Alps, in snow and on sand, and throughout months of farm work. I watched my hiking partners’ boots fall apart — tears in the fabric, rubber soles separating or straight up disintegrating — while my Moabs endured the tough terrain and unpredictable weather.

Merrell Women's Moab 3 Hiking Shoes

The boots are lightweight (great for packing) yet sturdy enough to encourage confident strides. The mid height supports your ankles on uneven ground, and the sticky soles provide excellent traction. Many hikes in New Zealand require walking on slippery tree roots and rocks slicked by decades of glacial runoff, and I'm fortunate that I had these boots to keep me (mostly) upright.

It’s worth spending a bit extra for the waterproof boots, as any wetness that seeps in from rain, mud, or snow is likely to cause blisters. The Merrell Moab 3 Mid Hiking Shoes are stocked with the best features to tackle inclement weather: an impermeable waterproof membrane, a breathable interior to let sweat out, a protective toe cap, and a bellow tongue to keep debris out. They also have the brand’s proprietary Air Cushion for maximum shock absorption (easing any pressure on your knees) and stabilization.

My old-school Moabs survived several seasons of intense hiking from the beach-dotted Abel Tasman Coast Track at the north end of the South Island down to the perpetually wet walks of Milford Sound, and they were still effective enough to continue wearing them on a subsequent working holiday in Australia.

Take it from this hiker, the Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Shoes will keep you secure and comfortable, whether you’re passing the winter with daily nature walks or prepping for a big adventure. Make sure to grab a pair while they're up to 61 percent off at Amazon, and keep scrolling to see the other on-sale hiking shoes that you can snag during Presidents Day Weekend.

More Presidents Day Hiking Shoe Deals at Amazon:

Columbia Women's Newton Ridge Plus Waterproof Amped Hiking Boots

Nortiv 8 Women's Lightweight Hiking Shoes

Keen Women's Targhee 3 Low Height Waterproof Hiking Shoes

The North Face Women's Truckee Hiking Shoes

At the time of publishing, the price started at $67.

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