Gearing Up for Hiking, Part 2

Massey's didn't have any wide shoes or boots, and I was going to Crossroads in Gulfport anyway, so what the hell, why not look in at Academy Sports?  And the choices at Academy were slim to... one wide mid-height boot, a Merrell Moab 2.  An extended try-on followed by a quick check of on-line reviews, and off we go:

They come in two varieties, "Vent" and "Waterproof," for which their respective hydrologic permeabilities seem straightforward to determine.  All Academy had were the mid-heights in waterproof, so I didn't have to worry about the options.  And that's fine, because mid-height waterproof is probably what I needed anyway.  Now about the width... it's EE/wide.  I'd have preferred EEEE/extra-wide, but with careful choice of thinner socks, some break-in period, and maybe some judicious insole trimming they'll work.

Overall, pretty nice.  As always reviews are somewhat mixed (here, here); regardless of any reviewers' opinions these boots are available in wide, so that puts them in the top 5% in my book.

Thursday PS:  After a couple of evenings of wearing around the house, it's become clear that 2E just isn't wide enough.  Returned to Academy, where money was cheerfully returned.  Ah well, everybody did their best here, but if they don't fit, then they don't fit.  It's a shame, because they really are nice boots.