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Not really much of a difference in expierence. Ive had a few different waterproof and gore tex shoes over the years and Ive never really noticed much of a difference.
My only concern is the right shoe, left side of the toe area that I grind down quickly on concrete teePads, (which is all i play on, basically) I think it's from toe drag from throwing forehands from the teebox,
anyone else have this problem? And if this is a problem on all shoes, why not buy cheapos from wally world as disposables?
I have had a lot of Merrell shoes over the years and imo the waterproofing has gone to hell- lasts about 2 months at this point. I have switched to salomon for that type of shoe.
Merrell seems to have changed some things in their shoes as they used to last so much longer. Now the waterproofing doesn't last long at all and the soles rip from the shoe not long after. I switched to Keens and so far haven't had any issues at all.
The first pair of MOABs I bought 3 years ago lasted a little over a year. Those had the "Waterproof" branding and the soles ended up coming apart from the shoe. They lost their waterproofing abilities within 4 months. Cost about $120.
January 2016 I picked up a pair of Marrell boots with Marrell soles instead of Vibram, and they have been holding up amazingly. I managed to scoop them up at the Merrell outlet store for $35. They have been my go to shoes this season and the soles are still holding out great. They are waterproof and I try to avoid walking through big puddles and such but they keep my feet dry while I play in the rain.
I am expecting MOABs with Gore-tex from my parents this Christmas so I hope they hold up next season, but I'm going to try and be a bit more gentle with them.
My biggest issue with the waterproof hiking shoes is they tend to get my feet very warm during a round. Great during the winter, not so much the rest of the year.
When it's dry, I will play in my Merrell MOABs without waterproofing or old sneakers. I do enjoy the grip the Merrells provide while throwing on the fairway and not just the teepad.
I was really happy with the Merrels but I did take a look at Salomons and I am intrigued by the XA Pro WP. I might give them a try.
I have the Salomon XA 3D PROs and they are nice. A bit stiff at first and a smidge on the narrow side but they break in nicely. Love the soles/treads on these, one of the few Salomom treads worth anything. Other Salomon's I tried had more generic treads and were too hard and made them slippery in the winter., but not the XA Pro's they work great. Just bought my 2nd pair from REI. :thmbup:
Awesome! That's kinda what I wanted to hear. Do you use the waterproof?
Not for a while as they are really good at keeping my feet dry. But like Reniger stated, I also keep a can of waterproof spray handy and proactively touch all my shoes up from time to time. We get some pretty sloppy weather here so I don't want to take any chances with wet socks. Generally speaking I would say I go the first year without spraying them, then after that I touch them up once a month or so.
My $25 pair of Hi-Tec shoes lasted longer than both of my pairs of Merrels.
Hi-tec is legit. I have had keen. Merrell, saloman, even bite Dg shoes. What I have figuredout is you can get a 1 year shoe for $50 but it's a gamble after that. Look for sales and don't trust the waferproof. Gore-tex is legit but you gotta pay for it. And If the shoe construction doesn't last your out. If you really want water proof get a quick dry river shoe and some water proof socks i.e. sealskinz.
Source: disc golfing in Seattle past 12 years