Merrell Bergenz Waterproof Boot - Men's

Just returned from 30 days 150 miles North of Arctic Circle around Ivalo, Finland. My Bergenz were more than adequate for the conditions. Temps ranged from -10 to +30 F. I was usually on packed snow or polished ice with occasional walks in deep snow. My other cold weather gear was high quality. I wore the boots every day for at least 12 hours in mostly snow and ice, with 75% of my time in the elements. They fit better then ever and look almost new. These boots were my "driving shoes" in a variety of sports cars, and their compact dimensions were great!The boots do "form fit" to the wearer in about 5 days of wear and become easy to put on and take off. The sole material is pretty good on ice with tiny sipes to aid grip. I spent a lot of time on frozen lakes highly polished by vehicular traffic. The boots also look nice enough to wear with casual clothes and jeans for social occasions. Now the bad news: In my opinion and experience these boots will not be adequate at temps down to -40 (C or F). At -10 F my toes started getting cold after a few hours in the elements. When daytime temps stayed above +25, my feet actually got a little too warm. Sock selection for conditions is key. Assuming a better sock combination might help, these boots maybe good down to -25. I was fortunate that the March temps in the Finnish arctic were relatively mild this year. I anticipate returning to Finland in 2013. I will take these boots with me... but I will also take my Sorels for those days of temps below -20F. I do think these boots will last a very long time, and at the current sell price ($112.46), a true bargain!

If you want to be warm, comfortable and look good buy this boot. Most winter boots make you look like a wanna-be Arctic explorer. This one is actually really good looking, nice leather, looks good with Jeans.

Bit hard to put on when you first get them, but they are great after a few wears. Nice and warm in cold weather... and waterproof. Broke through pond ice and still stayed dry.

I bought a pair of the Bergenz boots to replace my Sorel (pre China Canadian made) Caribous. The fit is great. I can wear them anywhere I don't need a tuxedo and the breathe well enough I can wear them without my feet geet hot in normal fall type conditions.
Every year I spend a month or so 150 miles North of the Arctic Circle in Ivalo, Finland. I teach winter and ice driving on frozen lakes in very fast sports cars when I am there. The Sorels were warm enougth but not very good as driving shoes. I used them for 3 seasons. They are still quite functional. My 12 hour teaching days are about 70% outside the car and 30% driving in a sports car. ALWAYS in snow and ice with temps from -40 F to +30 F. This year I will be there the month of March, with temps ranging from 0 F to 30 F. Not as cold as Jan and Feb as I have experienced in previous years, but a realistic test. I plan to wear the Begenz every day for 30 days... I bought them for the -40 temp spec and their small size compared to my old Sorels...I will post the results of my experience in about a month... sooner if the boots fail me.

Good looking but functional. Looks like a boot instead of looking like Yukon Jack.

Agree that they are a bit hard to out on at first but gets easier with time and you don't want a fit that is too loose. Easiest sitting down and pulling from the side straps. Don't pull from the back strap or you'll rip it out. That strap is just made for carrying the boots.

True to size - a bit tight, but I expect them to loosen with wear. They're very well-made and warm. I look forward to wearing them for a lot of winters.

I bought these planning to use them for doggie duties and short winter walks. However, the styling is so nice, they can easily be worn when dining out up in ski country.

Reasonably warm during a 30min walk in about 25-30 degree weather. Probably good in lower temp's, just haven't seen lower than 25 yet.

They're a bit of work to pull on (no elastic, no zipper), but still much faster than laces. I think they'll get easier to put on with time. Its easier to put them on if you are seated.

The one complaint is that the top half has so much extra space (if I pull the boots forward, my shins have almost 2" of space in front), so the top half flops around a little. My wife insists this is common with winter boots, but I prefer my boots to fit a little more snug. The fit over the foot portion is great, and they have moderate arch support.

I wear 10.5 shoes, and I ordered these in 10.5. Overall, these meet my needs so they're keepers.

Hope this review helps!