It’s winter. For many of us, the parks, trails and woodlands are boggy with mud and littered with impassable puddles that might as well be named as the sixth Great Lake. Your canine friend has no trouble darting through any soggy obstacle. But you, in your hole-infested sneakers or worn-out runners, are hesitant. There’s no worse feeling than a wet sock in a wet shoe.

It’s time to wrap up your feet in something a bit more protective, sturdy, and – if anything – waterproof. Say hello to Merrell’s Moab Speed GORE-TEX. Available in a low and mid options, it might just be the hiker to help navigate the wintery outdoors. Oh and it’s also got a decent amount of recycled components to boot.

In fact, the Moab Speed is packed full of useful components and features. Features like a padded collar, a bellows tongue to keep out debris, a protective and abrasion resistant toe cap, a rock plate to protect the foot from sharp stones, and some grippy 4mm Vibram® traction lugs. All of this makes for a pretty hardy hiker that we hope will stand the test of time and trails. It promises to be comfy too, thanks to a FloatPro™ Foam midsole.

Then, of course, there’s the GORE-TEX waterproof membrane upper that offers breathability as well as waterproof-ness. GORE-TEX is, of course, a brand that gets around a bit. It’s found on RÆBURN kicks and Arc’teryx jackets, and many, many more products. And because it’s everywhere, there are a lot of PFCs getting about. GORE-TEX has said that it aims to eliminate PFCs from all consumer products this year. A move like that should reduce PFCs quite substantially, and we look forward to reporting on an update in the coming months.

Elsewhere in the shoe, there are 100 percent recycled laces and webbing, a 100 percent recycled breathable mesh lining, and a 100 percent recycled mesh footbed cover. It’s refreshing to see a brand go the whole hog with some 100 percent recycled components. We usually get a few percent here and there. Speaking of, the Vibram® EcoStep outsole is made with 30 percent recycled rubber.

Merrell also lists the shoe as “Vegan-Friendly” which shouldn’t be a high bar to reach. There are plenty of options available to manufacturers now that negate the need for any animal products at all. It’s perhaps worth noting that the brand does make shoes containing animal-derived materials like suede.

The Moab Speed GORE-TEX comes in an assortment of colorways, from neutral all-black and gray options to multi-colored varieties. Plus there are women’s models too. Hopefully that’s enough options for you to find your pair and get out running through those puddles.

Shop the Moab Speed GORE-TEX on Merrell.com. For more on vegan-friendly alternatives, check out our recent deep-dive into the world of fruit-based leathers.