Shoe -> Waterpro Maipo from Merrell Review

[Danno]

The Waterpro Maipo from Merrell



Overview
• Slip Lasted Construction
• Synthetic Leather / Ventilated Mesh Upper
• Micro Mesh Free Flowing Drainage Ports
• Lycra® /Neoprene Padded Tongue and Collar
• Injection Molded TPU Rear Foot Stabilizer
• Free Floating Heel/ Dynamic Lacing System
• Synthetic Leather Toe Bumper protection/ Integrated Drainage Ports
• Hydro Drainage / Ventilated Footbed Ortholite™ with Etc® Anti-Friction Lining
• Nylon 6.6 Injection Molded Arch Shank
• Q-Form™ Triple Density Compression Molded EVA Footframe (Women)
• Air Cushion® Midsole
• Water Friendly Non-Marking/Razor-Cut Sipped sole
原帖地�: Aberdeen Parkour [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]
• 3.5 mm Sole Lug Depth
• Vibram® Waterpro Plus™ Sole/TC5+ Rubber
• Vegan Friendly Footwear


My first Impression:
First of all, these shoes are incredible! From the moment they were out the box they fit perfectly on my foot without any stiffness or discomfort. As most people are aware when wearing new shoes used for parkour, there is usually a period of at least a few sessions where it is required to "break them in". Usually until that point they are waxy and/or stiff & the traction is not very reliable, I personally find this a pain and can hurt your confidence temporary...
Not with these shoes. Right away they were flexible and clung to virtually any surface I tested them on like industrial standard glue. The sole is rather flat and not full of bumps like some other shoes in the Merrell range, this makes them more suited to multi-textured precisions in different environments. So far so good...

On Comfort:
The Maipo's are generally quite comfy, they have a solid support frame that doesn't dig into your ankle and is lined with a lycra and neoprene padding. The upper part of the shoe is made of an excellent breathable mesh which keeps it nice and airy. Antimicrobial treatments on the footbeds help block odors and they do an excellent job at it!
These shoes also have specially molded nylon arch shanks which are to prevent sharp & jagged rocks from stabbing you... Let me say these did winders when at the Trace gathering in Edale

On Performance:
The performance of these shoes borders on the flawless. I am writing this review roughly one and a half years after purchasing the Maipos & up until now they have been a very valuable asset. Straight from the shop they performed perfectly, demonstrating every aspect a traceur looks for in a quality shoe. The sole has a kind of slicing in the rubber that opens then under pressure and each little "ridge" clings onto the surface which makes them excellent for virtually all kinds of stone/rock surfaces, trees & woodland, mostly all metallic surfaces I've encountered.
The way you are strapped in is via a dynamic lacing system which locks together a micro-mesh upper and supportive synthetic leather strapping material. This keeps the shoe considerably lighter than a lot of Merrell alternatives, which I found helped feel like I had more control.
原帖地�: Aberdeen Parkour [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]
These work just as well in a natural rocky setting as in an urban one. They were thoroughly tested at the 2008 Trace gathering in Derbyshire and this is where they showed their real potential.

The Cons
I'm finding it really hard to find a fault with this shoe to be honest...
There is only 2 things I cant think of that has let them down. The first is the inner sole, due to vicious training the edge of the sole on the toe side ass worn back and kind of shrunk. So my toes get scrapped against the hard toe guard, which can be a little sore at times.
The second is that finally the straps holding the lacing mechanism together have snapped and now I can not secure my foot.So once that goes it is time to get some new shoes!

Conclusion
I highly recommend these shoes for seasoned practitioners & beginners alike. They have lasted so long and only at the end of there tether have they become uncomfortable.
For only around £50 these are an excellent buy! You can bet I will be buying another pair .
I hope this review helped in some way & apologies for it being not very comprehensive... I'm not good at writing these things. Hehe

[manymovements]

Best shoe's I have ever owned.

There now at 2 years.... and more or less dead.

Can you fire up the link to the site you told me about? Where you bought them from?

There £50 in the shops, £20 off would be lovely.

[Danno]

Hahaha, me and David are avid Maipo fanboys :P

I seriously fucking LOVE these shoes, and to think we discovered them by accident. And only due to there lucrative advertisment in the shop decided to try them! ;D
原帖地�: Aberdeen Parkour [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

I'll get you a link but it looks like the sale isnt on anymore. I also saw them on sale in Blacks in inverness and were like £15 or something. So maybe check the Blacks in Glasgow/Aberdeen for a pair?

[Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

[manymovements]

Cheers, in fairness I would pay way over the sale price for these shoes.

I used to get a new pair every 3 months at about 30 pounds.

Make that into two years 30 x 8 = 240...

They cost me 50 quid to begin with, saving me 190 pounds.

Not gonna go pay a hundred pounds for those shoes, but you get the idea

[Danno]

That's an excellent way of evaluating a shoe, I didn't think to compair it like that. Very true too, they remain comfortable for a good year of hardcore training and at the cost -> life ratio these have compaired to many other shoes, it adds yet another item to the list of what makes these shoes godlike xD.

[Chris_Drew]

The shoes I'm really wanting are these:

[Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

These are indeed a pair of kickass shoes, especially for parkour.

[Danno]

Originally Posted by Chris_Drew [Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

The shoes I'm really wanting are these:

[Only Registered Users Can See LinksClick Here To Register]

These are indeed a pair of kickass shoes, especially for parkour.

I had a pair of the chameleon slams about 5 years ago or something, they are pretty good. Have a solid ankle support, though a bit too soli for me, and fairly decent grip. The only thing I found with them is that they are really kinda heavy and you dont have as good flexabilatie in them. The lasted a good year though

[Chris_Drew]

Everybody has different opinions I suppose.

[manymovements]

In fairness you have never even tried them chris?

[Chris_Drew]

Yeah but they look nice..............aww...I'm sad now!