Another update on the Merrell Chameleon Wrap Slams from Fitness Footwear Ltd....
Well, they're still comfy and grippy, but there's a problem - they've started squeaking!
At first I thought it was a sole issue, but after further investigation it turns out to be due to some of the innards. In each shoe there are two fillets of support material (closed-cell padding, I suspect) beneath the lining in the areas marked in yellow in the next two pics. These fillets all now squeak whenever they are compressed, i.e. every time a step is taken. The noises started out as quiet mouse-like squeaks last week but now it's akin to walking on whoopee-cushions. It's a shame that such a good bit of kit is now ruined by this annoyance.
I was putting the insoles back in after taking the above pics when I noticed the sizing on the underside. I'm still trying to figure out why size 8.5 insoles have been put into size 8 shoes (that's nominal size 8, of course, as in reality they're probably 7.5s or maybe even 7s).
I'm now of the opinion that if I'd paid for these I'd be sending them back to the retailer for replacement or refund, as they're no longer fit for purpose after less than three months of generally casual use, and as Merrell have put in the wrong insoles. Sadly this would be harsh on the retailer as it is a matter beyond his/her control, being the fault of the manufacturer.
THE SMALL(ish) PRINT... (updated 23/07/2016)
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That's a pity Stef. I use mine with Superfeet insoles and haven' t had a problem with them.
It seems to have happened with Merrells in the past few months. Could be down to a change in their manufacturing process.
Thanks for clearing this up for us Stef. Merrell told us it was "the Merrell air cushion compressing", which would have been incredibly concerning, because that's Why people tend to buy Merrell shoes in the first place!
Have passed this on to our customer service peeps.
Once again, thank you for some awesome reviews 🙂
-Adam
FitnessFootwear.com
@Alistair - That's interesting, maybe I should invest in some Superfeet insoles to see if they make a difference. That said, the footwear should be fit for purpose without having to make such mods.
@Adam - LOL - maybe "Merrell air cushion" is a synonym for "whoopee-cushion"!
Would it be of any benefit to you if I was to return these to you so that you can demo the problem to your supplier?