Features:

  • 100% Leather
  • Imported
  • Rubber sole
  • Shaft measures approximately low-top from arch
  • hook and loop closure provides precise and secure fit
  • suede and mesh upper
  • eva removable footbed
  • non-marking outsole with M Select GRIP for superior traction
My son's favorite shoes; he's on his third pair as he's outgrown the old ones

I'm reviewing these mostly because my son has owned three separate pairs over the past four or five years. These are my kid's absolute favorite shoes. While his recently replaced 1-year-old Merrell Trail Chasers definitely show wear, they have not failed in the way so many reviewers have experienced. I'm uploading photos of our 2nd pair, replaced one year and 12 days after purchase and worn almost every day during the school year (excluding rain boot days and sandal weather days.) Merrell quality control must be spotty, or my son is surprisingly easy on shoes compared to other kids. We send him to a school that prioritizes play outside every day (in New England), so his shoes definitely get a healthy share of wet weather, mud, and running around on grass, gravel, and brick pavers plus concrete and asphalt around our home. I can say that my kids have both sometimes worn out the velcro fastening strap on *other* pairs of shoes from other brands. I don't think we are being particularly careful or delicate with the Trail Chaser shoes. :) Ours have held up as I would expect from sturdy hiking sneakers. I bought the first pair of Merrell Trail Chaser shoes in person at a Nordstrom store after having my son's feet measured. As he outgrew them (yet refused to wear any others), I found them on Amazon and purchased his second pair in January 2019. In January 2020, I bought his third, and current, pair. The Amazon listing has changed a little bit from: Merrell Trail Chaser Hiking Shoe (Little Kid/Big Kid), Gunsmoke/Orange, 2.5 M US Little Kid to: Merrell Kids' Unisex M-Trail Chaser Sneaker, Gunsmoke/Orange, 4.5 M US Big Kid Aside from what is probably just a product listing change, we've had the same color combo of army green (Gunsmoke) and Orange for all three pairs, and neither my son nor I can find any visible difference between the old and new pairs. From the photos of less satisfied consumers, it does appear that more of them show alternate color combos. Perhaps the Gunsmoke/Orange combo is a better bet for anyone reading this with quality concerns? My child's passionate love of these shoes is the best review I can provide. It's not easy for me to get him to wear any other casual shoe. He likes the speed of velcro over old-fashioned tie laces. He likes that they are weather resistant so he can wear them on rainy days. My son says his feet stay dry (unless he steps in a puddle so deep that they fill up with water from the top.) For other parents whose kids love these Merrell Trail Chaser shoes, I can recommend this particular style for boots that might fit the same child: Merrell Chameleon 7 Access Mid Waterproof Boot Big Kid 5 Black I bought the boots a half size larger to allow for thick winter socks. My son has been happy with the boots, too, but we've only had them a few weeks now. From my perspective, if you like the looks of these shoes, it is worth trying them, but make sure you buy from a seller with a generous return period in case you get a pair like those displayed in the other reviews. I will keep buying these until my son has outgrown the largest size (or finally decides he likes something else!)

Great toddler shoe with TREAD!!!!

FINALLY SHOES WITH TREAD! I have been frustrated with athletic style shoes for toddlers that have zero tread. We love to hike with our 2yo and worried about the number of times his feet would slide out from under him on loose gravel trails. No more with these shoes. He calls them his “grippy shoes”. They seem to be comfortable because he chooses them for everyday wear too. They seem very well made and I have zero worries that they won’t last. I even had to put them through the wash due to an unfortunate potty training mishap and they washed well (air dry). They are a little bit hard to put on but the pull tab on the heel makes a huge difference compared to others we tried. My 2yo can take them off on his own but definitely needs help getting them on.

Durable, excellent, stylish

Bought these in blue/gray/green, size 10 little kid and they fit well. Lasted longer than his foot stayed that size, When my son was 3 1/2. He's 5 now, incredibly active, and is starting to run 5k’s. These, however, are extra sturdy and supportive and excellent. We are now up to size 12 and the 3rd pair of Merrell’s Only because he keeps growing! I'm not seeing signs of daily "wear and tear" that I have seen in less durable shoes which show scuffs if you look at them too long, and wear out in the toe after a run around the yard. Excellent traction even on slippery surfaces. And they look pretty cool, too. I have read about people’s complaints about the Velcro but we have never encountered that. We will continue to buy these as my son's feet grow...

He loves them!

I'm a bit of a crazy person when it comes to my kids shoes. Our main brands are Plae, Keen, and Merrell. I love them all for different reasons. This is my son's first pair of Merrells, and he couldn't be happier. You know when you slip your heel into the shoe and you hear that perfect fit noise and feel that perfect fit feel. (Think Mr.Rogers going to the shoe store). That's how these fit my son! He is very proud of his more grown up looking sneakers, and wears them often. We will probably stick with this exact shoe for a while, or until he gets bored of the style. We tend to only have one or two pairs of shoes at a time, quality over quantity! So far quality is spot on, and I've already talked to my son about being gentle with the velcro, and he is.

great hiking shoe

I bought these for my little girl. We go hiking in some of the state parks with the family and these shoes have been great. Her previous shoes were regular casual shoes. They didn't hold up well to the hiking surfaces. These handle the dirt and rock just fine. The treat keeps her from slipping, especially on gravelly downhill parts. Since we've been using these for hiking, her casual shoes last longer since they don't get eaten up by the trails. The laces are like a continuous elastic. You might have to pull at the tongue to stretch the shoe enough for your kid to get their foot settled in. The velcro is nice to have a bit more customization with how tight you want the shoe to fit.

Hook and Loop feature

My 10 year old grandson is autistic and has not learned how to tie his shoes. He just accomplished buttons. These shoes are made extremely well and are easy to get on and off. It is difficult to find shoes for him with hook and loop features.

Great durability for rough toddlers

It’s a toddler shoe so it’s tough to rank comfort. The boys seem to like them. We have twin 3 year old boys and they are tough on shoes but these seem to hold up better than most. They seem pretty sturdily constructed and so far it’s the velcro that seems to start wearing out first but they are off and on several times a day. We have not thrown a pair out yet because they wore out though. They have outgrown their last 2 pairs after about 6-8 months. This last pair may have been 10 months of hard play. They are definitely not in hand-me-down condition when we are done with them but they were functional right to the end! And again, our boys play hard... They climb on everything, they crawl around in gravel, they fight with each other, they splash in puddles... These things get muddy, wet, abraded, etc. and they seem to survive. I just buy the next size up each time they get close to growing out of them...

Nice quality sneakers

I liked that it was so easy to go on Amazon and order a wide shoe for my son's wide feet. He is only in 1st grade, but is already in a size 7! He still wants the Velcro shoes (and not tie up!) and after going to 3 or 4 stores, I gave up and went online to buy shoes without having my son try them on first! Luckily, after he put them on, he said he liked them and that they were not too tight. (I think they loosened up a little too after a little wearing them for a few days). Merrell shoes have always been a good brand, and I agree that they are here too! He has only been wearing them for 2-3 weeks, so time will tell as to how well they hold up!

Great shoes for wide feet

First let me say that my daughter has wide feet and is super picky about the shoes she will wear (very frustrating!!!) She had a pair of these that we bought her last spring. They were her favorite shoes through 8 weeks of summer nature camps and a few backpacking trips, through rain, mud, and everything else that she got into. They went into the washer a few times and on the shoe dryer almost every night. Then she wore them to school all year, and now, this March, the toe of the sole finally started separating from the shoe. They really weren't wearable anymore as the sole was flapping. I could probably have repaired them, but she needed a larger size anyway. So we got the next size up, and she loves them just as much! We're looking forward to some backpacking this summer also, and many more nature camps. These shoes are great! Our go-to shoe.

Great shoes

We purchased 2 pairs of these for our 2/12 year olds because they pretty much destroy the cheaper shoes. They’ve had them for about a month and they still look brand new. They are quite a bit heavier than normal shoes but that doesn’t seem to slow our little guys down. (Unfortunately) They seems to love them and the quality is just great! Just well designed and constructed shoes. If they last until they make it to the next size, that will be a first for us! So far, so good!

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