Comments about Merrell Chameleon Arc Mid GORE-TEX:

I had great hopes for this boot. I have been wearing Merrells for hiking for 8 years because they are so light, supportive and have GREAT toe room (my toes are short, so the widest part of my foot is further forward in the shoe than average, making it a false wide). Also, they need NO breaking in! So, Merrells have been perfect for me. Until this year. I think they are changing some basic fit parameters. Anyway, the result is that my formerly size 7.5-8 foot is now 8-8.5, and many of the new models are a bit narrow in the toe. This is a problem only after hiking several miles with stretches of downhill, after the feet have swollen as they do on hikes. My foot has not changed because my old shoes are great. So there must be a change in Merrell's design.
I will note that the Moab Ventilator, Phaser and Pulse models still have the great toe room, just size a half size small. The Chameleon model and others which are similar in profile are a bit too narrow for me. Maybe they would break in, but I'm reluctant to try since they can't be returned after real use.
I REALLY wish the Chameleon Gore Tex fit properly, because I love the design. It is good looking and slim in profile and doesn't have the nubuck leather which gets dirty so fast. If they made it in wide, I would buy it in a heartbeat. I have always been a Merrell fan.