Comfort
The Capra boots are very comfortable and light. They even have thinner upper fabric and smaller lugs on the soles. The thin fabric, however, meant the feet were chilly in the snow but for most activities (especially hot 90 deg. F days) they were very comfortable. The toe box is not especially roomy, and the upper has a snug fit overall. These Merrell boots offer somewhat less cushioning than other hiking boots, which offers advantages in some off trail work but pounding out the miles on hard surfaces would be hard on unconditioned feet. 

Stability & Traction
The Merrell Capra boots have good general rigidity and support in the midsole, heel cup, and ankle areas. The outsole has good flex and traction was good in general but in snow it was markedly slipperier than other boots tested. 

Durability
At first glance, the Merrell boots seemed like they would be fragile. But they held up quite well trip after trip. Oddly, the strap used to pull on the boots (above the heel) came off but otherwise the Merrell boots proved durable.

Protection
The Merrell Capra Mid height boots provided fair protection from rocks, toe jamming, water, and other trail hazards. There was somewhat less than average shock absorption overall.

Off Trail & Snow
Off the trail, the sole on the Capra boots did not provide as stable a platform as other boots: for edging and snow work, they didn’t work well. For slabs and bouldering the flexibility in the soles allowed them to work great. Plunge stepping worked okay if the snow wasn’t too icy. The waterproofing worked well for stream crossings and while it kept snow out, the relatively thin uppers meant a colder experience than most boots.