All right, we are getting this figured out. Fourth post, counting my little “About Me” and I feel like I am getting the hang of this. “Fat Guy Outdoors: The Site” will hopefully be ready to go within a few weeks, I have some exciting things planned for it. Until then, I hope you will continue to visit the blog and tell your friends about it.
Yesterday was an exciting day for me, my new Merrell Chameleon Trek® shoes arrived via Brown. I had a very hard time choosing which of the many styles of Merrell® I would be wearing. When I look at shoes, I look for something that will last more than a season, I am willing to spend a little more on shoes that will last and hold up to what my size puts them through. I also want a shoe that I can wear for more than one activity. I am not against speciallized shoes, but for the most part I want a shoe that is strong enough for the trail, yet will clean up nice for some time in the town. The Chameleon Trek is a perfect fit with these criteria. The styling,which may seem a little old-fashion to some, is very simple and clean. Straight from the box, this shoe feels like good. The back of the heel is cut low enough not to be uncomfortable, the foot bed, with its Ortholite® treatment is incredibly comfortable and the Vibram® sole provides plenty of support and traction. I opted not to get the Gore-Tex® version. These are not going to be heavy hiking shoes for me, so I really could not see the added cost of it, plus, and this is a personnel thing, if I want waterproof, I want it to be more than a low-cut shoe. As I wear these, I will keep all of you updated with how they are holding up.
One thing I want to do here is provide a more long term look at products. A “straight from the box” look is great, but I want to let you know if the product continues to be worth its investment, after all, money is not easy to come by right now and every dime needs to be spent wisely. To this end, I want to talk about my Merrell Perimeter® boots. I have had them a little over seven months, and am more impressed with them every time I put them on. These are on the upper-end of the Merrell® line, I was very lucky and found them a pair of last years model on sale at a local shoe store. The double tounge took some getting used to, but the added protection it provides against water is amazing! Straight from the box, I wore these on a six mile hike through the Pisgah Forrest. They were perfect, no blisters and the fit was amazing. I have a what is nicely called a “high volume” foot. It is wide and big. These boots have plenty of room for my feet, but do not slip around on steep climbs or descents. So far, great boots! I will keep you posted regularly.
So, thanks for reading my little blog, and I hope you will come back next time.
The Fat Guy
