With the frequent inclement climate the place I stay in Colorado, I discovered myself in want of footwear that will be appropriate for highway operating, as our trails have a tendency to shut very often, forcing me to run on bike paths and roads. The Merrell Morphlite ($100), a road-to-trail shoe, was first on my record to check for a possible hybrid-type shoe.
True to its meant goal, the Merrell Morphlite is gentle shoe with a snug higher and midsole that performs admirably on roads and light-weight trails. Additionally true to that meant goal, it fell brief when hitting extra technical trails. That is undoubtedly a road-to-trail shoe and a great one at that.
The Merrell Morphlite additionally lives as much as its identify, with a svelte precise weight of 8.6 ounces (243 grams) for a males’s U.S. dimension 9, a claimed stack peak of 26.5 millimeters on the heel and 20 millimeters on the toe, and a 6.5-millimeter drop.
We additionally respect the tremendous cheap price ticket on the Merrell Morphlite, in a market at the moment overfilled with excessive worth fashions.
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The Merrell Morphlite. All images: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Merrell Morphlite Higher
The Merrell Morphlite boasts a Jacquard higher, engineered with a tighter weave and a built-in bootie development. This design function ensures a locked-in match, offering stability and help, particularly on gentle trails. The important thing level is “on gentle trails.” I don’t advocate taking this shoe on technical trails. Merrell advertises this shoe as a road-to-trail shoe, so there isn’t any shock that it isn’t the shoe you’ll seize should you’re headed to the mountains.
I discovered the higher to be very snug and comfortable when operating on the roads, however after I ventured onto a technical path, “accidentally,” the shoe lacked the locked-in and secure really feel of a real path operating shoe. On sharp turns and rocky sections, my foot felt prefer it was far and wide. That being mentioned, I used to be testing it exterior of its meant use. Sooner or later, I’ll simply follow roads, gravel, good paths, and clean singletrack.
One factor to notice — the laces. I wanted to cinch them right down to get a comfortable match. They tended to come back unfastened on runs — however not whereas strolling, curiously. So, the repair for that was merely double knotting them. I may nonetheless tuck them into the lace keeper when double-knotted.
A lateral view of the Merrell Morphlite.
Merrell Morphlite Midsole
Outfitted with FloatPro Foam, the midsole of the Merrell Morphlite provides distinctive light-weight consolation. This materials not solely reduces the general weight of the shoe, but in addition offers lasting cushioning for prolonged distances of as much as 25 kilometers, as beneficial by Merrell.
The lightness of the shoe is actually spectacular. Taking a look at images, I believed it will be considerably heavier than it’s, however it’s deceptively gentle. It seems highway and hybrid footwear simply don’t want all these heavy lugs that true path footwear do.
The medium cushioning strikes a steadiness between responsiveness and impression absorption, superb for numerous terrains encountered when going from highway to gentle trails.
The shoe has a 6.5-millimeter drop, which is a bit steeper than I usually run in — 4 millimeters is my candy spot — however that didn’t trigger any opposed results to my operating or gait. The shoe has a bigger foam heel, which does present some stabilizing qualities, whereas not being overly corrective.
A medial view of the Merrell Morphlite.
Merrell Morphlite Outsole
The Merrell Morphlite encompasses a sticky rubber outsole, making certain sturdy traction on completely different surfaces. The three-millimeter lug depth offers ample grip with out being overly aggressive, making it appropriate for gentle path operating. You’ll discover a number of uncovered midsole there, too. Once more, it’s a road-to-trail shoe, so it additionally performs nicely on paved roads the place traction isn’t fairly as massive of a deal.
The outsole’s design and materials composition provide dependable traction the place and when it’s wanted, offering confidence and stability throughout runs. The outsole on this shoe was an ideal answer to the explanation that I wasn’t sporting my path footwear on roads — it destroys the lugs and shortens the lifetime of these footwear. The outsole held up nicely on the roads and bike paths in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the lugs are nonetheless in fine condition after a month and a half of operating and strolling in them.
The outsole of the Merrell Morphlite.
Merrell Morphlite Total Impressions
The Merrell Morphlite is a light-weight and versatile shoe designed for gentle path use and highway operating. Its Jacquard higher development offers a comfortable and cozy match for its meant use. For me, this shoe is a superb winter coach. I are inclined to run much more miles on the roads, because the snow and dust in Colorado tends to intrude with constant path operating.
The FloatPro Foam midsole delivers lasting consolation with out compromising on responsiveness, whereas the sticky rubber outsole provides sturdy traction on numerous surfaces. This shoe is a stable alternative for runners searching for a mix of light-weight consolation and light-weight path capabilities. We’re stoked on its cheap worth level as nicely. I like to recommend this shoe as a winter coaching shoe, a shoe for people dabbling in gentle path operating, and even simply as an informal shoe.
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Name for Feedback
- Have you ever tried the Merrell Morphlite? What had been your ideas?
- How does this shoe examine to different hybrid footwear?
- What different footwear would you advocate for road-to-trail use?
[Editor’s Note: If you’re affiliated (i.e., an employee, ambassador, etc.) with a brand, please share your relation in each of your comments on this article. Thanks!]
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A high view of the Merrell Morphlite.
