Merrell Women's Encore Mid Hiking Boots - Waterproof Leather & Suede Outdoor Boots for Women | Perfect for Trail Walking, Camping & Winter Adventures

My experience with this pair of Merrell footwear has not been a great one, while some other reviewers seem 5 star pleased. I would love to give these boots five stars; however, I have some really irritating issues with the pair I received. They are…. comfy, well-made and ever so cute. Now, let me say some other things about them.THE GOOD:`The thin but slightly cushioned insole is removable.`The arch is adequate for me; however, higher arches might complain and find it less than perfect.`The imitation fur goes about 2.5 inches into the boot providing slight cushion for the leg area just above the ankle.`The boots are true to size. I ordered my regular size, and the fit is good.`The heel is a good height, 1¾ inches with a ½ inch platform.`The rounded toe gives lots of wiggle toe room making for soothing comfort.`The strictly decorative strap on the side adds some bling to the boot.THE BAD:DIFFICULT TO GET ON AND OFF.!!!!These are the pits in that category. Fortunately, they do stretch a smidge after several exhausting but successful efforts of forcefully pushing the foot while pulling the boot to get the blinking thing on. The first time that I got my foot into it, I then wondered if I could get my foot out. With much effort, I did manage to extract my foot.I slept on my decision to return the boots and then decided to try once again. The exercise was pretty much the same as the first time. This time; however, I did use a shoehorn…..and that helped. I did; nonetheless, have a bit of a struggle extracting the shoe horn, and that was slightly ouchy! Well, I tried one more time, and I found that they were slowly becoming a tad less hostile and slightly more user friendly! With maybe a dozen or so more tries the ons and offs will not be so exhausting.`The description of the boot says, “…. contoured footbed supports all three arches of the foot with Merino wool.” My boots do not have Merino wool anywhere.THE UGLY:Wait….there is another issue. The zipper is challenging to move. It reluctantly slides upward, and then is equally stubborn about sliding back down. It may take oodles of ups and downs before it works effectively without being forced.`I have decided to keep this less than perfect pair of foot coverings; however, I do not think they will ever be my footwear of choice if I am in a hurry to skedaddle out the door. This is probably not the ankle boot for those with a high arch and thick ankles or large legs.