Siren Sport Shoes from Merrell

Merrell earned a reputation as a solid shoe company, and their Siren Sport shoes are in line with their usual quality and style. These outdoorsy shoes are designed to be lightweight, water-resistant trail shoes, mostly geared toward hikers who don’t want to be weighed down by heavy boots.

Describing these as primarily hiking shoes does them a bit of a disservice, though: These are great all-around shoes that can be worn on long walks in the city, as they hold up well in even the heaviest of rain. Though, don’t expect your feet to stay dry if you trek through a big puddle. They’re water resistant, but water will come in to the shoe if you get it wet around the laces. Still, that’s better than running shoes, which have more mesh and will let in water a lot easier.

These shoes are fairly neutral, so it’s easy to wear them with a pair of jeans and not look like you’re tramping around in big hiking boots. And they’re lightweight — but incredibly sturdy — so hiking long distances can be done in comfort and with dry socks.

The only downside is the shoes are stiff, a quality that almost never goes away no matter how long you wear them. They’ll start to fall apart before they lose their stiffness entirely. They can be hard to lace up firmly, even once they’re several months old. Still, it’s a small trade-off for an overall great shoe that has managed to do much more than originally intended.

Learn more at merrell.com.