Small group tours to places like Iceland, Paris, Rome, Peru require a certain type of shoe. The Traveling Profesor takes these factors into account when selecting a shoe:
- Comfort
- How Well Does the Shoe Grip Surfaces?
- Style
- Pricing
- Ruggedness
- Water Resistance
- Price
- Weight
- "Packability". In other words, are they bulky or easy to pack in a carry on?
Last month Traveling Professors Steve and Linda did a 10 day domestic trip involving 5 flights and visits to cities and rural areas. We walked on sidewalks, smooth and slippery (also wet) surfaces, in the mud on one occasion, in a baseball stadium with lots of stairs, and did some hiking. We thought the Merrell's Men's Moab Speed and the Women's Moab Speed performed admirably. And we will tell you why:
These shoes fit comfortably right out of the box. We wore them constantly for over 10 days with no problems like blisters or stiffness. It was like if we had owned these shoes for a year.
The Professor previously had with a pair of Skechers that he owned and used during travel. Although they were comfortable, they were very slippery on smooth surfaces, especially if those surfaces were damp. However, the Moab Speed held their own on smooth and slippery surfaces. The Professor walked in a muddy and angled surfaces with the Moab Speeds and they felt secure and not slippery. We walked on stairs, on grass, on gravel, on rocky surfaces. The shoes held up extremely well. We did not purchae the water resistant versions of the shoe, but they can be purchased to have that feature
Style: I would score these shoes an 8 out of 10 in the style department. Not perfect, but you can get a variety of colors.
Pricing: At about $90-$120, that's a reasonable price. If you pick a not-so-popular color like The Professor did, you might even get them cheaper.
Ruggedness: The shoes felt secure and tight on the foot. Some shoes I have worn do not feel secure on the feet when walking on uneven surfaces. My foot stayed solidly in the Moab Speed.
Waterproof: Yes, they come in "waterproof" and non-waterproof models.
Weight: We felt these shoes felt lighter than other shoes we previously had, notably the regular Merrell Moab shoes, which we had recommended for a long period of time before find the Moab Speed model. It should be noted that the Moab Speed is about 3/4 of the weight of the extremely popular Moab 2 shoe.
Packability: As noted, the shoe is light. Secondly, it is not a big and boxy shoe. It packs favorably.
Here are some buying options:
Moab Speed for women (2 colors): https://amzn.to/3BQ918A and https://amzn.to/3QrAuRT
Moab Speed for men: https://amzn.to/3QIJfHB and https://amzn.to/3A1OyMu (multiple colors)