Insoles
The insole is critical to the flex performance of Merrell boots. As the boot strikes
the ground, the insole, which is the layer of material between the outsole and the
footbed, helps stabilize your foot and keeps it from twisting on uneven terrain.
We use stiffer, more stable insoles on our heavy duty backpacking boots for the
added stability needed to carry heavy loads on steep terrain. For these boots, Merrell
uses a tapered injected-nylon insole, providing unmatched torsional rigidity with
an even flex under the forefoot. The molding process allows us to proportionally
grade the flex of each size insole to account for differences in boot length and
hiker weight. For day hiking and walking we use Texon insoles and spring steel shanks.
By varying the length and thickness of the steel shanks, we can tune the flex for
comfortable walking and carrying light loads.