Merrell Alpine 83 Sneaker Recraft Review

I’m Kirsten with BarkingDogShoes.com and I review the most comfortable shoes for women. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my late 20s. I’m now 55 years old, so I understand achy feet AND I understand the importance of a comfortable, supportive pair of shoes for a better quality of life.

Today I’m reviewing the Merrell Alpine 83 Recraft sneaker. It’s a take on the super cool vintage sneakers that are trendy right now. When I was in Vegas last week, I saw a lot of women in the New Balance version of these- I’ve tried those on before and found that they’re just too tight in the toe box for me. I’m so glad I found these!

I was drawn to this color combo when I saw it online, but it comes in other more neutral combos if this is a little too tutti-frutti for you. Let’s start with the toe box. I find that it is just wide enough to accommodate the aching sides of my feet. I’ve got bunions, I’ve got tailors bunions, I have hammer toes. My feet are a mess. I’ve mentioned before that I’m scheduled for surgery. It’s coming up, but until then, I’m gonna be staying in these Merrell Alpine 83s.

The recycled mesh upper is breathable, but it’s also very forgiving if you do have hammer toes. The footbed is removable. and offers really good arch support–that’s something I noticed when I first put them on.

I think you could fit an orthotic in these if you have to wear those. Mine are coming in soon, and my podiatrist said I have to wear them in most all of my shoes, so I’m hoping and crossing my fingers, that they fit well in my new Merrells

Another feature that I love about the Merrell brand–they offer that unicorn size–10.5!

I find the Merrell Alpine 83 Recraft fits true to size. I’m a size 10 and it fits perfectly with no like heel slippageand no tightness at the midfoot.

One other feature to keep in mind is that these have an attached tongue, which can be a benefit in that they fit securely–but it could be a detriment also as they’re a little hard to put on, especially if you have a high intep. Overall, this is a super versatile shoe with a really good fit and feel. Find a pair for yourself at Merrell.com, Amazon or Zappos. See the entire Merrell Alpine line of sandals, sneakers and boots here.