Merrell J035837-11 11 Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Men's Sh (Open Box)

I have been a long-term customer of Merrell's hiking boots and have owned quite a few Moab boots. I like the way they feel when I hike or as I just walk around the neighborhood. On uneven terrain they provide good support. The insole is well-cushioned and I have no soreness even after long hikes. I usually have several pairs on hand and rotate them randomly, replacing them when the tread wears down. I normally don't keep track of how long they last and couldn't have told you how many miles I got on individual pairs. But recently I had a chance to learn more. I noticed that three pairs all needed replacement at roughly the same time. I ordered a pair from Amazon (and shortly afterwards, another pair directly from Merrell), but this time I kept track of my miles and the boots' wear. I was surprised at how quickly the treads wore down. I'm attaching two photos to this review. They compare the right boot of the pair I used exclusively to that of an unused, new pair. The first photo shows how much the boots wore down after 20 days from first wear (approximately 105 miles of hiking trails and paved roads). The second was after 30 days (about 160 miles cumulatively). As I research expected boot life, I find frequent recommendations to replace boots after about 500 miles (you can find much higher expected ranges). I am at about one-third of that and am concerned that I can't trust my treads on challenging hikes. When I select my next pairs, I think I will look elsewhere.