What We’re Testing Now: Merrell Zion Mid Waterproof

At BACKPACKER, we usually seek “outlier” circumstances to test new gear. And whilst six inches of surprise October snow may well not appear that intense, it was nonetheless a good atmosphere for my very first outing in the Zion Mid. On the 11.six-mile roundtrip hike to King Lake in Colorado’s Indian Peaks Wilderness, the boot’s five-millimeter-deep, nicely-spaced triangular lugs held quick on packed snow and slushy mud, and the waterproof membrane kept my foot dry when I punched via thin ice covering a stream (not my smartest move).