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Merrell All Out Blaze Sieve

rated 4 of 5 stars

The All Out Blaze Sieve has been discontinued. If you're looking for something new, check out the best water shoes for 2024.

photo: Merrell All Out Blaze Sieve water shoe

Good compromise between a shoe and sandal that works well wet or dry.

Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Easy to get on and off
  • Grip well on wet slippery surfaces
  • Great lacing system
  • Dry quickly
  • Sole stiff enough for light hiking

Cons

  • Sole might wear out prematurely
  • Openings let rocks and sticks in, but less than regular sandals

Top-and-bottom.jpg

Background: I have only had these for four months but have walked around 100 km (60 miles). So far they have been very good. I got them for use in water on a trip to Lord Howe Island (World Heritage listed and fabulous—look it up), but my hiking boots fell apart on the first day so I finished up wearing them for everything: hiking, kayaking, coral reef walks, dinner, the lot.

Comfort: Great, straight from the box. These are sold as sandals but I think of them as shoes with holes, since the holes are much smaller than normal sandals.

Side.jpg

The plus side of that is that water can still run out easily, but your toes and most of the foot are better protected than regular sandals. The minus side is that they still pick up a few rocks and sticks through the holes at the side and back.

Lacing: The lacing system works well. As well as the quick action laces, the back of the shoe is elasticised so they stay on for casual use even with loose laces.

Elasticised-heel.jpg

For more serious stuff, the laces can be tightened for a secure fit. I also like that the laces flex as your foot moves unlike some other brands that use non-stretch laces. (I once had some Salomon shoes with Kevlar laces that were terrible).

Traction: Good wet and dry, including on slippery rocks. (See my Merrell Moab Rover shoes review. Same shoe brand, same sole brand, but very different performance on wet surfaces. Moral: don't buy just on brand names.)

Stiffness: They have enough stiffness in the sole not to feel sharp rocks under your feet. I have done a lot of hiking on very rough tracks with no problem other than small rocks getting in. I'm not sure how they would go with a heavy pack though.

Drying: They dry quickly after being in water. I always rinse in fresh water after going in the sea as I find the salt makes them feel damp even when dry.

Durability: So far no problems other than a couple of loose thread ends that should have been trimmed at the factory. One potential concern is that the heels might be wearing faster than I would expect (arrowed in top photo).

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $AU 180

Good for creek crossing, quick dry up, but less traction on slick surface. Not for hill terrain.

Pros

  • Good water wading

Cons

  • Less traction on slick or wet surfaces
  • Not good for up hill terrain

I've just bought the Merrell All Out Blaze Sieve on 20th Oct. 2018. First use was just walk around camp area on concrete pavement which has some dirt on the surfaces. I slipped and nearly fell. Then I went light hiking and crossed some creeks. This time the shoes work quite okay.

Second use was on 27th October. This time on uphill terrain and I walked with high awareness. The shoes are not suitable for this uphill terrain really. I slipped down once.

My personal conclusion is that. I will use these shoes just for light hiking, flat and easy terrain, and creek crossing.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: 2,450 thai bahts

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Specs

Men's
Price Historic Range: $40.73-$100.00
Women's
Price Historic Range: $19.98-$100.00

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