Shoe Review: Boots for Cobblestones, Rain, and Excessive Siteseeing
This boot was candidate #2 in my search for the best cold weather walking boot for Europe. Having tried out my Bare Traps Gallant Western Boot in the Ring of Kerry, I’d be testing my new Merrell Captiva Launch Boots for my quick weekend in Dublin.
And in order to pack light, they were the only shoes I brought. Wearing them three days in a row would be the true test of comfort.
I chose them, though they have no heel, because they’re waterproof, had a lovely padded insole, and were stylish enough (though not my typical style) to go with dresses as well as slacks, and be perfectly acceptable in nicer restaurants. I went with Black for simplicity sake, but they have a more dramatic looking dark gray and a deep brown. I found the sizes run fairly true. I’m an 8 1/2 or 9, and the 9 nine fit great with just enough room for a thicker sock if wanted.
And the boots definitely delivered on this trip. I encountered gale force winds and driving rain for half the day. The rest of the day was cold and damp. I went over cobblestones and up and down stairs and finally ended up a fancy-ish restaurant for an early dinner. My only complaint when I got back to my hotel room after a full day of site-seeing was my achilles ached. And that’s only because the lack of heel had strained them. An easy future fix with a brace or ace bandages.
Putting them on again the next day I felt a few sore spots on my feet, but less than you’d expect from wearing any shoe two days in a row.
So the only downside to this shoe is the price.
- DSW has them in-store for $120, the cheapest consistent price I’ve seen.
- Amazon has them for $89.99-$180 depending on your size and color preference. For my size, the Black is $140, the Brown $108.
- 6PM (as of this morning) has a limited number of sizes in Gray/Drizzle for $117
The best deal I’m seeing is through Sierra Trading Post. Make sure you sign up for their Deal Flyer Emails. They’ll send you various coupon codes about once a day. Some of the coupons apply to the Captiva Launch, others do not, so just keep checking! When you find a code that does work, it brings the price down to under $82 🙂
Note: If you sign up for Sierra Trading Post using my link and make a purchase, we’ll both get a $10 e-card towards a future purchase.
Up to 45% off Sale sent this morning doesn’t apply:
Extra 35% off Sale sent yesterday does:
Further Note: If you purchase the shoes using our Amazon link above, we’ll get a small referral credit. And as always, we thank you for your support!
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