Merrell Sawtooth
Review by
Neil Ferguson Cherokee
Indian Police Department
I first came across
Merrell Sawtooth boots in summer 2003 while taking a
gut-check sniper course
best described as SOTIC-for-Law-Enforcement. The SF instructors had
them on and loved them, having worn the Sawtooth in Iraq and
Afghanistan. When I asked why they didn’t wear other more expensive
brands that seemed part of the local hippie hiker / kayaker dress
code, they told me the Merrell Sawtooths were personally tested and
re-tested under combat conditions as opposed to semi-risky weekend
warrior romps.
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Since then I have owned
two pair, the first of which I bought following the class from
diamondbacktactical.com for $89 and wore out over four years of
training and knocking around. I bought the most recent pair last
year direct from merrell.com for $100 plus s/h. It is the best $100
I have ever spent. The boot is firm yet flexes just enough to stay
easy on the feet for a long training day. Following knee surgery
these have been the only boots I could wear for quite a while due to
the relatively light combined weight at 2 lbs., 14 ounces. The color
and styling don’t scream “Cop!” like my Danners when off-duty or
dressed down for other assignments.
As with all my boots, I
use an extra insole to cushion my tootsies but I could wear the
Merrells without them if I had to. The flexing Vibram sole also does
a lot to cushion the consistent pounding I give them. The wide
knobby tread pattern also gives me plenty of traction in the near
constant mud, in range gravel and up steep wooded hillsides.
The eyelets and laces are
simple and quick to hook up and go. There are four closed metal
eyelets at the lower end and three speed lace hooks at the top that
I really like for easy donning and secure retention. I don’t use the
lowest speed hook too much but, when it is used, it locks your ankle
in tight so that there’s little or no roll. The only downside is
that this lower hook has a tighter opening and eats up the laces
more than the other eyelets or speed hooks but it seems to be a cost
of the lace lock-down design.
The toe and heel have
rubber ‘bumper guards” that absorb much of the wear and tear and to
me just looks cool. To clean the boots, I just hit them with a
potato brush and a baby wipe.
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Although not water-proof,
I have kept the boots sprayed with Scotch-Gard and then worn them in
the snow, slush and mud when I didn’t feel like wearing my Danners
and still stayed dry. Incidentally, Gore-Tex is best here in Western
North Carolina during the winter in a pair of 8” or 10” Danner boots
but in summer its pretty useless. If a pair of boots gets wet in
summer, its usually because you were wading a creek or river and the
water went over the top. Around here when that happens, Gore-Tex
boots just become lace-up buckets and take forever to dry (picture a
Southern version of Seattle). When I have gotten the Sawtooths wet,
they dry relatively quickly and are none the worse for wear and
don’t eat up my feet when worn wet. A change of wool / polypro socks
and I’m good to go. In desert conditions the Sawtooth has been
reported to be the best in that environment that many have tried so
far.
I am something of a boot
connoisseur having worn them daily since I was a little hick kid
growing up in these here mountains. You name the brand and I have
probably worn them, if worth wearing, and the Merrell Sawtooths are
the best I’ve ever had. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I make triple
sure I’m onto a good thing before I spend money on my personal gear.
My wife is a grad student and my kids are as the sands of the sea so
money is not wasted but I guarantee when this pair is worn out, I
will certainly buy another. The old Sawtooths will probably be
thrown from a distance to my youngest son who was recently described
as a Chucky doll. Until that black day, my Merrell Sawtooths feel
and look great and do more than their part to keep me the beautiful
man that I am.
Sgt. Neil Ferguson
Cherokee Indian Police
Department
Cherokee, NC
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Copyright
G H Hill 1999-2012
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