I've always liked Merrells because they fit my feet perfectly. You were no exception. But after walking about 20 miles on groomed trails in Shenandoah National Park (when I first put them on) I found that 4 studs were torn off (2 on each boot) and another one on each boot was badly mangled . It's a shame because they were so comfortable even without a slump. I've since switched to a different brand. Damn.