If you’re a runner, a hiker, a climber or a camper, you’ll be well aware of the benefits of time spent outdoors. It’s good for both our physical and mental health, and can be the foundation of many of our best memories.
Simply put, time spent outdoors is powerful. That’s a truth that Merrell understands very well. So much so that the brand’s very purpose is to “share the simple power of being outside”.
Where it all began
Now, that all began with the design and manufacture of hiking boots in 1981. The brand was founded by footwear designer Randy Merrell and two executives from the Rossignol ski company, Clark Matis and John Schweizer.
It quickly established itself as a reliable footwear partner for anyone hitting the trail and became known for iconic and hugely successful ranges such as the Moab and Chameleon. But walking boots and shoes wasn’t the brand’s only focus.
Merrell dipped its toes into the water with trail running shoes decades ago with the ‘Jungle Runner’, a lightweight, slip-on shoe combining an aggressive outsole with a suede upper. This eventually went on to become the ‘after-sport’ Jungle Moc, which was selling in its millions by 2002.
In the years since, Merrell designed and produced additional trail running shoes. In 2011 it launched its first minimalist running shoes with the popular Barefoot collection. With a low profile and 0mm heel-to-toe drop they weren’t for everyone, but they offered a home to people interested in the move toward barefoot running.
One running shoe that is for everyone, however, is the newly released ProMorph (£140). It’s designed to be used on the trails, the roads and everywhere in-between, and complements the brand’s existing lineup of dedicated trail shoes, which includes the brilliantly grippy Agility Peak 5 and the speedy, lightweight MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx.
In essence, this new shoe represents freedom. The freedom to take your first tentative steps into trail running if you’re a beginner, while sticking to pavement when you feel like it.
Or if you’re already an off-road convert, it gives you the flexibility to link together epic sections of trail without having to put up with a rubbish ride and shoddy traction on the paved sections.
merrell.com
Want to know more? Check out the ProMorph on the Merrell website or read on to hear about some of the shoe’s highlights.
5 things you’ll love about the Merrell ProMorph
It’s built to take on multiple types of terrain
The ProMorph combines the technicality of a train shoe with the responsive ride of a road shoe to give you the best of both worlds.
It comes with a stack height of 32.5mm at the heel and 26.6mm at the toe, delivering a drop of 6mm – measurements that work both on and off road.
The Vibram XS Trek Evo outsole is designed to give you an ideal balance of traction on varied terrain, plus flexibility on wet surfaces.
The outsole’s 2.2mm lugs won’t be the answer for miles of mud plugging on churned up, boggy trails (see the Agility Peak 5 or MTL Skyfire 2 Matryx for that) but they’re well equipped to comfortably carry you over tarmac, gravel and hard-packed dirt.
Meanwhile, the synthetic mesh upper helps keep things cool and ventilated when you’re working hard.
The midsole holds some magic
Sandwiched between the bottom of your foot and the top of the outsole, you’ll find the removable EVA foam footbed and the FloatPro+ premium energy-efficient midsole.
The combination of the two is designed to be lightweight yet cushioned and enduringly responsive.
Also in the mix is Merrell’s FLEXconnect dual-directional flex-grooves, which are built into the midsole to give you that all-important connection to the ground that’s so badly needed when running off-road.
All of this is designed to deliver enough cushioning and pep in your step for road running, while giving you enough of a nimble and precise ride when you’re away from the tarmac.
It comes with an odour control treatment
Admittedly, shoes can get rather smelly when you’re sliding into them and going for a run several times a week.
Often when that happens, you have to either put up with the stench or chuck your shoes into the washing machine, neither of which are really great options for longevity.
Luckily, the ProMorph has been treated with Cleansport NXT, a preventative detoxifying odour control technology that helps keep your kit smelling fresher for longer.
Merrell has gone big with the eco credentials
Brands often make big claims when it comes to recycled materials, but it doesn’t always stack up with the reality – particularly when the only thing that’s recycled is a shoelace.
Merrell has gone a few steps further with the ProMorph. Yes, it uses 100% recycled laces, but it also has a 100% recycled breathable mesh lining, 50% recycled removable footbed and 100% recycled mesh footbed cover.
The shoe is also entirely vegan friendly.
There’s an impressive range of choice
You see it a lot. A brand brings out a great shoe, but it’s only available in one garish colour and a compact range of sizes.
Not here, though. The ProMorph comes in a range of seven colours in the men’s version and eight in the women’s.
That includes everything from subtle blacks, greys and greens to options that stand out in the wild, including white, a pastel yellow colourway and a crimson red.
Perhaps more importantly, the size range is vast. It comes in a medium width, but the men’s sizes run from 6.5-14 (UK) and the women’s range goes from 3.5-8.5 (UK), with multiple half-sizes available within that range.
That’s a big win for a lot of people at either end of traditional size ranges.
Want to know more? You can see the full men’s ProMorph lineup here or take a look at the women’s range here.