There’s wearing your shoes into the ground, and then there’s literally wearing your shoes…into the ground. Karl Bushby did the latter, walking approximately 31,000 miles across 30 countries over 28 years, 15 of which were spent in Merrell Moab hiking boots. The English former paratrooper finally arrived home in Hull this past Monday, and the one thing we fashion people can deduce after this 28-year walk: The Merrell Moab is both tough as in a euphemism and tough as in, like, a really durable, battle tested boot.

For Merrell, Bushby’s homecoming is one hell of an endorsement, specifically for the Moab hiking shoe, which accompanied him through the final 15 years of his journey. Bushby first encountered Merrell’s signature trek shoe in 2013, while walking coast-to-coast across the United States. Up until then, as he told hiking gear forums, when he’d blow through a pair of shoes he’d just grab whatever was available in the nearest roadside town. The Moab, however, was a revelation. 

He liked the boot so much that he started seeking it out wherever he went, wearing both waterproof and breathable versions through Central Asia, Mongolia, Turkey, and Europe. Naturally, he destroyed both varieties — I mean, the guy literally walked for 28 years — but kept coming back. 

What makes the Moab so dependable? The hiking staple is designed to make the ground less unforgiving, which all its specs support — the Merrell Air Cushion Heel, for example, remains to this day the sole reason why my hypermobile ankles are still intact after any hike I’ve ever completed. Moab boots are also referenced across outdoor gear forums for being one of the more all-around dependable all-terrain shoes. One Reddit user puts it best, calling the Moab the Honda Civic of hiking boots, in that they’re reliable and will last a good long while, but aren’t top-of-the-line.   

And that’s the best thing about the Moab. Karl Bushby is your everyman, and he accomplished one of the longest on-foot journeys in human history while wearing your everyman hiking boot. He didn’t need the Ferrari of footwear, the Honda Civic was just fine because he didn’t need his shoes to look cool; he was already accomplishing arguably one of the coolest human feats in some Merrells. 

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