Merrell Morphlite Overview – iRunFar

With the frequent inclement climate the place I reside in Colorado, I discovered myself in want of sneakers 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 listing to check for a possible hybrid-type shoe.

True to its meant objective, the Merrell Morphlite is gentle shoe with a cushty higher and midsole that performs admirably on roads and light-weight trails. Additionally true to that meant objective, it fell brief when hitting extra technical trails. That is undoubtedly a road-to-trail shoe and a very good one at that.

The Merrell Morphlite additionally lives as much as its title, with a svelte precise weight of 8.6 ounces (243 grams) for a males’s U.S. dimension 9, a claimed stack top of 26.5 millimeters on the heel and 20 millimeters on the toe, and a 6.5-millimeter drop.

We additionally recognize the tremendous cheap price ticket on the Merrell Morphlite, in a market at present overfilled with excessive value fashions.

Store the Girls’s Merrell MorphliteStore the Males’s Merrell Morphlite

Merrell Morphlite Higher

The Merrell Morphlite boasts a Jacquard higher, engineered with a tighter weave and a built-in bootie building. This design function ensures a locked-in match, offering stability and assist, 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 is no such thing as a shock that it isn’t the shoe you’ll seize in the event you’re headed to the mountains.

I discovered the higher to be very snug and cushty when operating on the roads, however once I ventured onto a technical path, “by chance,” 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 in all places. That being stated, I used to be testing it outdoors of its meant use. Sooner or later, I’ll simply keep on with roads, gravel, good paths, and clean singletrack.

One factor to notice — the laces. I wanted to cinch them all the way down to get a comfortable match. They tended to come back unfastened on runs — however not whereas strolling, apparently. So, the repair for that was merely double knotting them. I might nonetheless tuck them into the lace keeper when double-knotted.

Merrell Morphlite Midsole

Outfitted with FloatPro Foam, the midsole of the Merrell Morphlite affords distinctive light-weight consolation. This materials not solely reduces the general weight of the shoe, but additionally gives lasting cushioning for prolonged distances of as much as 25 kilometers, as beneficial by Merrell.

The lightness of the shoe is really spectacular. images, I assumed it might be considerably heavier than it’s, however it’s deceptively gentle. It seems highway and hybrid sneakers simply don’t want all these heavy lugs that true path sneakers do.

The medium cushioning strikes a stability between responsiveness and impression absorption, best for varied 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 hostile results to my operating or gait. The shoe has a bigger foam heel, which does present some stabilizing qualities, whereas not being overly corrective.

Merrell Morphlite Outsole

The Merrell Morphlite includes a sticky rubber outsole, guaranteeing sturdy traction on totally different surfaces. The three-millimeter lug depth gives satisfactory grip with out being overly aggressive, making it appropriate for gentle path operating. You’ll discover lots of uncovered midsole there, too. Once more, it’s a road-to-trail shoe, so it additionally performs effectively on paved roads the place traction isn’t fairly as huge of a deal.

The outsole’s design and materials composition supply dependable traction the place and when it’s wanted, offering confidence and stability throughout runs. The outsole on this shoe was an ideal resolution to the explanation that I wasn’t carrying my path sneakers on roads — it destroys the lugs and shortens the lifetime of these sneakers. The outsole held up effectively on the roads and bike paths in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the lugs are nonetheless in good condition after a month and a half of operating and strolling in them.

Merrell Morphlite General Impressions

The Merrell Morphlite is a light-weight and versatile shoe designed for gentle path use and highway operating. Its Jacquard higher building gives a comfortable and cozy match for its meant use. For me, this shoe is a good winter coach. I are likely to run much more miles on the roads, because the snow and dirt 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 affords sturdy traction on varied surfaces. This shoe is a strong alternative for runners in search of a mix of light-weight consolation and light-weight path capabilities. We’re stoked on its cheap value level as effectively. 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.

Store the Girls’s Merrell MorphliteStore the Males’s Merrell Morphlite

Name for Feedback

• Have you ever tried the Merrell Morphlite? What have been your ideas?
• How does this shoe examine to different hybrid sneakers?
• What different sneakers 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!]

Our Favourite Path Operating Sneakers

Try our Finest Path Operating Sneakers article to study our present favourite path trainers!