Team SNAFU

I decided that I needed a new pair of boots for some hard use wear. I’d heard a lot about Merrells and had set out to get a pair of Merrell Ventilators, but those were discontinued. So with my heart set on a pair of Merrells, I decided to do a little research. I searched the Internet for various retailers and articles and eventually found the Merrell Sawtooths. I placed my order from Lord Johns Footwear, as they almost always seem to have a sale for around 15% off. Then the waiting began.

When they arrived, I was instantly impressed with them. Their build and stature was very pleasing to the eye. That was partly what made me go for them in the first place, but the design was even more aesthetically pleasing in the flesh. An upper that is made from Cordura and Nubuck strapping makes for a very compact and tough little boot. The tongue is bellows type meaning that its sealed to the boot all the way up. Now these boots aren’t exactly waterproof, but a run through a pretty deep puddle should mean that you come out with dry feet on the other side, and this tongue helps in that aspect.

The sole is Vibram Chisel design and is nicely designed, giving optimum grip even when wet. Its shanked, meaning that it keeps your foot in the “natural” walking position. Basically, it means that you’re going to have some very comfortable footwear while out and about. I’ve had mine now for around 6 months with hard use and the soles are still going strong, with little sign of wear.

The liner of the Sawtooths is padded beyond belief. This is a nice little touch for comfort and ankle support, but can be a drawback if your boots get wet on the inside as its hard for the water to drain out.

All of the above is compacted into a nice lightweight boot. The Merrell website has men’s size 8 weighing in at 2lb. 14 ozs. You don’t actually feel like you’re wearing all those features on your feet, and in comparison to my Altama Jungle Boots, actually feel lighter (not to mention a hell of a lot more comfortable).

I’ve been through several swamps in my Sawtooths and they’ve looked horrible, caked in swamp mud and filth. However, with some water and a brush they clean up perfectly and finish this off with some Nubuck oil and they’re good to go again.

In conclusion, these boots have served me well and continue to do so. The Cordura used on the upper is as strong as the stuff used on my RAV or any other piece of combat equipment. The Nubuck leather is supple and moulds to your feet exceptionally well. The only drawback with these boots is that they are not fully waterproof, but I’ll live with that, for the trade off in comfort and durability.

<<< Back to Articles	Written by wasted_youf, 2nd February 2007
PRODUCT REVIEW: MERRELL SAWTOOTH BOOTS
CLICK TO ENLARGE	I decided that I needed a new pair of boots for some hard use wear. I’d heard a lot about Merrells and had set out to get a pair of Merrell Ventilators, but those were discontinued. So with my heart set on a pair of Merrells, I decided to do a little research. I searched the Internet for various retailers and articles and eventually found the Merrell Sawtooths. I placed my order from Lord Johns Footwear, as they almost always seem to have a sale for around 15% off. Then the waiting began. When they arrived, I was instantly impressed with them. Their build and stature was very pleasing to the eye. That was partly what made me go for them in the first place, but the design was even more aesthetically pleasing in the flesh. An upper that is made from Cordura and Nubuck strapping makes for a very compact and tough little boot. The tongue is bellows type meaning that its sealed to the boot all the way up. Now these boots aren’t exactly waterproof, but a run through a pretty deep puddle should mean that you come out with dry feet on the other side, and this tongue helps in that aspect. The sole is Vibram Chisel design and is nicely designed, giving optimum grip even when wet. Its shanked, meaning that it keeps your foot in the “natural” walking position. Basically, it means that you’re going to have some very comfortable footwear while out and about. I’ve had mine now for around 6 months with hard use and the soles are still going strong, with little sign of wear. The liner of the Sawtooths is padded beyond belief. This is a nice little touch for comfort and ankle support, but can be a drawback if your boots get wet on the inside as its hard for the water to drain out. All of the above is compacted into a nice lightweight boot. The Merrell website has men’s size 8 weighing in at 2lb. 14 ozs. You don’t actually feel like you’re wearing all those features on your feet, and in comparison to my Altama Jungle Boots, actually feel lighter (not to mention a hell of a lot more comfortable). I’ve been through several swamps in my Sawtooths and they’ve looked horrible, caked in swamp mud and filth. However, with some water and a brush they clean up perfectly and finish this off with some Nubuck oil and they’re good to go again. In conclusion, these boots have served me well and continue to do so. The Cordura used on the upper is as strong as the stuff used on my RAV or any other piece of combat equipment. The Nubuck leather is supple and moulds to your feet exceptionally well. The only drawback with these boots is that they are not fully waterproof, but I’ll live with that, for the trade off in comfort and durability.