Merrell Berner Moc Review
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For the times you need to step up your game just a little bit above a pair of running shoes or hiking boots, the Merrell Berner Moc might just be the shoe for you. The Merrell Berner Moc can best be described as a mix between a light hiking shoe and a dress shoe. The Berner Moc is composed of a blend between nubuck leather and suede on the upper with four color combos to choose from including black and 3 shades of brown. The shoe can work as a casual shoe that looks good with jeans or khakis while heading out on the town and they can also work well for more casual work environments.
Merrell Berner Moc in Bad Weather
The Merrell Moc is water resistant due to the leather, but there is no waterproof membrane to keep the upper sealed. Having walked through plenty of small snow piles and slush puddles, I can happily say my feet stayed dry. If I were to keep my feet in one of these slush puddles for an extended period of time, I am sure water would start to leak in.
Shoe Fit
The fit of the Merrell Berner Moc doesn’t quite fit as comfortable as a running shoe and it doesn’t fit as bad as a stiff dress shoe. The shoe in my opinion has somewhat of a stiff fit for a casual shoe compared to others on the market. After doing a little bit of inspection, I found the insole to be way more thicker than a traditional flimsy insole. The footbed insole in the Berner Moc is 3 times the thickness of a regular footbed and even has a plastic insert in the bottom to keep the foot from flexing too much. Overall, I would give the actual comfort of fit a 3 out of 5 stars.
Traction
The traction on the Merrell Berner Moc is more than you would expect in a casual shoe. The tread is similar to what you would see on a hiking shoe which makes it perform well in bad weather. Note, it does not have the new ice grip texture, so it will still slide on the ice. Since I use this shoe on dressier occasions, I don’t use it for hiking as it would not look good scuffed up.
Style
For style, I think the Merrell Berner Moc has a clean and modern look. The combination of nubuck leather and suede is a nice touch and all the color combos that are available look good. While I’ve used this shoe for semi dress occasions (mountain life), the suede makes the Berner Moc look like it could be a fancy slipper too.
Final Thoughts
While the Merrell Berner Moc has a great look to it and has great traction, I find the fit to be a deal breaker when spending $100. If you’re able to get a good deal on this shoe, I think it would be okay, but know that you will be sacrificing a little bit from the comfort standpoint. For more info visit www.amazon.com/merrell.
