In production · trail · Trail / Daily · $130
Nimble moderate-terrain trail trainer on FloatPro foam.
Built for trail, daily, at a target pace of 8:30–11:30 /mi on trail.
Merrell tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 29 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.33 per mile at $130.
For the foams and plates Merrell uses across its line, read the Merrell brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
261 g / 9.2 oz
14 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
29 mm
7 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$130
30 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Merrell line it is lighter than the brand's median (263.5 g / 9.3 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (29.5 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
New Balance Shando
295 g / 10.4 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Aggressive-lugged trail shoe with a hiking-boot attitude.
Brooks Divide 6
272 g / 9.6 oz · 24 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
Budget road-to-trail crossover for smoother paths and park loops.
Merrell Morphlite
240 g / 8.5 oz · 28 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $110
Light, flexible all-terrain trainer at an everyday price.
Salomon Pulsar
289 g / 10.2 oz · 29 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $140
Do-it-all daily trail trainer on optiFOAM at a friendlier price.