The Merrell Rogue Hiker GTX is not your typical Merrell—from its bright colorways to its athletic build to its premium price. This isn't your dad's Merrell or your typical hiking and backpacking boot. I've personally tested and reviewed the Rogue on several famous backpacking trails since the boot debuted back in 2023. My Merrell Rogue Hiker review lets you know why this is Merrell's best hiking boot—an obvious upgrade over the Merrell Moab and a legit option for those who normally wouldn't hike in Merrells.
Backpacking Old Loggers Path (PA) in the new Merell Rogue Hiker
This post includes affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a qualifying purchase, the retailer may share a small percentage of the sale with Hiking Feet. That doesn't cost you anything and supports this site's free and independent content.
Merrell Rogue Hiker Review
My Merrell Rogue Hiker review is based on more than 200 miles of hiking and backpacking. I broke in my Rogues backpacking Pennsylvania's Old Loggers Path (28 miles) and later tested their limits on the tougher Loyalsock Trail (59 miles). In 2024, I surprisingly chose them for my bucket list Tour du Mont Blanc trip, hiking hut-to-hut for 100+ miles through the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps. These trails feature some gnarly stretches of roots and rocks, steep ascents and descents, ancient roads and old railroad grades that can be hiked in a hurry, and plenty of mud, snow, and water crossings. That varied terrain let me test the Merrell Rogue Hiker's support, weight, comfort, fit, waterproofing, traction, and overall value.
Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc in the Merrell Rogue Hiker
Support
With its higher ankle collars, the Merrell Rogue Hiker offers more foot and ankle support than the best-selling Merrell Moab. However, it's a hybrid that blends the build of a trail running shoe with a backpacking boot. That means it's not as stiff or supportive as a traditional hiking and backpacking boot, even though it's a mid-cut.
The Rogue is Merrell's best option for backpackers. Still, there's plenty of flex underfoot, and the ankle collars are also soft (not stiff) with Merrell's "out of the box comfort." That means the ankle support is just okay. The Rogue may seem similar to Salomon's famous Quest backpacking boot, but the Quest has significantly more foot and ankle support. The Rogue feels more like hiking in my old basketball high tops. Still, I've hiked hundreds of miles in this boot without any foot or ankle issues—and many of my test hikers were relatively tough and ambitious.
Weight
The Merrell Rogue Hiker stresses weight savings more than support. My pair (men's size 12) weighs only 2lbs and 6oz. That's less than the average day hiking boot (which run 2.5-3lbs) and 12-14 ounces lighter than my other backpacking boots, the Salomon Quest and Lowa Renegade. It's even a few grams lighter than my low-cut, Merrell Moab hiking shoes! You can tell on the trail, too. Knocking out 18 miles of the Old Loggers Path on my first day, I felt like I was hiking in trail running shoes, not backpacking boots. If you're looking for light and agile hiking boots (over more supportive ones), the Merrell Rogue Hiker may be a great option for you.
Women's Rogue Hiker GTX
Fit
Merrell is known for its wide and roomy fit. That's also true of the Rogue Hiker GTX. As my feet swelled on several 18-22-mile days, they still had plenty of room in the Rogue's roomy forefoot and toe box.
Merrell's standard size is as wide as (or wider than) some brands' "wide" sizes. That means my moderately wide hiking feet felt comfortable in my normal hiking size (1/2 size larger than my everyday size). Hikers with narrow feet may find Merrell's fit too big or too sloppy on steeper trails. As a new release, the Merrell Rogue Hiker is only offered in standard sizes (no wides). Hikers with extra-wide feet may want to order this a full-size bigger than your everyday footwear to get enough width.
Wearing my Merrell Rogue Hikers in the Italian Alps on the Tour du Mont Blanc
Comfort
Comfort has a lot to do with fit and with hikers' personal preferences. The Merrell Rogue Hiker may be a comfortable hiking boot for hikers with bigger feet who find lightweight footwear more comfortable than traditional, sturdy hiking boots.
Overall, my feet have liked the Rogue Hiker. For me, the roomy fit was quite comfortable, letting my toes splay naturally. With most backpacking boots running narrow in the toes, that's a comfort plus. There's moderate cushion that's soft for a hiking boot. I personally prefer more support, especially when backpacking. The lightweight build meant I felt more of the rocks and roots of Old Loggers Path than I would in sturdier boots. At the same time, my feet felt pretty good after hiking 28 miles of moderate terrain over 24 hours. Likewise, my feet made it through the 60-mile Loyalsock Trail fine, but they got fatigued faster in the Rogue than they do in stiffer backpacking boots. My guess is that many people will love the Rogue Hiker's light and roomy feel, as long as they aren't hiking gnarly terrain or carrying extra pack weight.
Weather Protection
My hiking feet stayed dry and comfortable through miles of mud, plenty of puddles, and several short water crossings on Old Loggers Path. LIkewise, I crossed at least two dozen streams on the Loyalsock Trail with relatively dry feet.
Merrell's proprietary waterproofing has a poor reputation. However, the "GTX" on the Merrell Rogue Hiker GTX stands for GORE-TEX, the industry's most reliable waterproof membranes. GORE is also breathable, which meant my feet didn't get sloppy sweaty on the trail. The mid-cut ankle collars don't provide great ankle support, but they do allow for the waterproofing to extend to the ankle. That gives a little more clearance for puddles, mud, snow, and shallow streams. Waterproof hiking boots won't work miracles in sustained wet weather. However, these GORE-TEX boots provide above average in weather protection.
Traction
The traction on the Merrell Rogue Hiker has better hiking tread than other Merells. This particular Vibram outsole has deep, 5 mm lugs to dig into soft surfaces, and they're widely spaced to prevent mud and snow from caking to the bottom of the boots. The V-shaped lugs and ridges add climbing traction in front and braking traction in back for steeper trails. That aggressive tread works well on moderate to difficult terrain with soft or loose sediment.
This boot's traction isn't bad on rock, either, since the lugs are moderately wide for more friction on hard surfaces. The footing on Old Loggers Path varies widely. However, the Vibram outsoles were solid on every hiking surface I encountered on my weekend trip. I also hiked the Loyalsock trail slip-free after taking a couple of hard falls previously on that trail in another lightweight backpacking boot, the La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX.
For me, the traction was my favorite performance feature of the new Merrell Rogue Hiker.
Value
Price-wise, the Rogue Hiker is Merrell's most expensive hiking boot with a MSRP of $230. That's more than most of the best lightweight hiking boots and pretty typical for a backpacking boot. It's also the same price as the other lightweight backpacking boot I recommend, the La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX. Merrell lovers may balk at that price, but the Rogue delivers better support, weight savings, comfort, weather protection, and traction than the best-selling Merrell Moab. With the outdoor industry struggling, there's a good chance you can find this boot on sale at the links below:
Men's Rogue Hiker
Check current price, styles, and colors:
Women's Rogue Hiker
Check current price, styles, and colors:
Merrell Rogue Hiker GTX: Pros & Cons
As with all hiking boots, you should consider if the Rogue is a good fit for your feet and a good fit for your hikes. Merrell made this lightweight backpacking boot for the growing population of fast-and-light hikers who prefer the feel of trail running shoes to traditional hiking boots. The Rogue tries to be both at the same time—a backpacking boot that feels more like a trail running shoe. Since it's more of a niche boot than an all-around hiking and backpacking boot, it's important to consider the Rogue's specific pros and cons:
:
Should you buy the Merrell Rogue Hiker?
In terms of features and quality, the Rogue Hiker is easily Merrell's most impressive hiking boot. I'm not a Merrell fan, but I can't deny this boot has held its own on some of my best backpacking trips. I shocked myself by choosing the Rogue for a 100-mile trek through the Alps, thanks to its fit and versatile build. My feet felt fresh over 10 days of averaging 11 miles and 3500 feet of elevation gain. This isn't the best choice for those who prefer burly backpacking boots. But the Merrell Rogue is a lightweight, athletic, and comfortable hiking boot that can pull off harder day hikes and backpacking trips (as well as casual hikes).
Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc in Merrell Rogue GTX Hiking Boots
If this review has piqued your interest in the Merrell Rogue Hiker GTX, please consider purchasing your new pair through the affiliate links above. That doesn't cost you anything, but it sends a few shillings my way to pay for this site and the boots I review. Those small commissions also give me a little something back for all the unpaid hours I've spent creating free content to help people buy hiking footwear that fits their feet and matches their hikes.
If this site hooked you up, I'd appreciate it if you hook me up, too. Cheers!
Nice review Jory. Have you had any issues with with the material on the toe box “popping” or “clicking” when you walk in these boots? I have and its a real bummer. If the right boot was like the left boot, I’d be super happy with these. That popping noise is super annoying though.
No, I haven’t noticed a sound like that. Is it the gaiter attachment making the noise on one side? If that’s it, you might be able to tighten the bottom lace enough to snug it into place? That’s my only guess of that sound. Thanks for checking out my review.