Merrell Morphlite road to trail running shoes review: switch surfaces in comfort with these lightweight shoes
Meet the reviewer
Merrell Morphlite road to trail running shoes: first impressions
Merrell describes these road to trail running shoes as built to deliver comfort and traction on light trails with few obstacles or debris and little in the way of directional changes, so we took them out on some forest trails, to a hard packed sandy beach and on a little tarmac to get a feel for how they hold up against mixed, non-technical terrain.
Straight out of the box, we loved the feel of these shoes which manage to deliver a secure, lockdown fit thanks to the internal bootie but provide a spacious toe box. They're easy to pull on compared to shoes with a socklike construction and once you lace them up, you can tuck the laces away in the lace keeper to keep them from coming untied.
Specifications
• List price: $100 / £100
• Gender specification: Men's and women's sizing available
• Sizes: Men's 7 - 15 US, 6.5 - 14 UK, Women's 5 - 11 US, 3.5 - 8.5 UK
• Weight (women's US 6): 170 g / 5.99 oz per shoe
• Stack: 26.5 - 20mm
• Drop: 6.5 mm
• Lugs: 2 - 3 mm
• Weight: 15.8 oz / 450 g
• Materials: Rubber outsole, EVA foam midsole, mesh upper
• Colors: Mentha/Peach, Parchment/Antler, White/Multi, Cornflour/Pear, Black/White, Black, Melon/Hiviz, Sea/Dazzle
• Best use: Trail running
The foam midsoles on these shoes are moderate and extremely light (barely heavier than the Merrell Skyfire 2 which is their lightest shoe) with no carbon plate to make them stiff or weigh them down. They might not deliver the bounce of a road running shoe on the tarmac, but there's enough cushion underfoot to make road running reasonably comfortable, and once you hit the trail there's some trail feel while the wide geometry keeps you pretty stable on uneven trail.
The 3 mm lugs give you all the traction you need for straightforward trails such as soft forest paths and gravel roads, though these aren't built for really muddy conditions or technical trails. A fair amount of midsole is exposed so these shoes may not last as long as something like the Merrell Agility Peak 4, but you're not likely to place so much demand on them either.
Ultra breathable uppers are going to be welcome as the weather warms up and mean you can wear wool running socks with these and avoid sweaty feet. With lots of recycled content and a great price point, we think these are brilliant for anyone newer to trail running or just looking for a lightweight pair of shoes for tackling light trails and mixed terrain.
Merrell Morphlite road to trail running shoes: in the field
I'm happiest when I'm on the trail, but I live in a city which means that sometimes, I need a shoe that can handle the tarmac. For the last six months, I've been wearing the Merrell Agility Peak 4s on the trails and big, bouncy Saucony Kinvara Pros for the road, but here's the thing: if I don't want to travel to run, I really need a shoe that can handle both tarmac and trail. So when I was offered the chance to test out these road to trail running shoes, I wondered if my dreams had finally been answered.
I've had these shoes out now for three runs: one on a rolling gravel trail out in the highlands, one on a soft forest trail in a large country park that I reach via 2 km of road running, and then just for fun, a long run on a hard packed beach on the west coast of Scotland.
Here’s how they performed:
Sizing and fit
I like to wear a UK size 4 for running shoes which is about a half size up but should theoretically give my feet room to swell but sometimes, a tapered toe box foils my efforts. With these shoes, I was extremely pleased by the very roomy toe box which gives my toes plenty of space to flex and spread.
Don't let that description fool you into thinking the overall fit is loose, however, because the internal bootie gives me a good lockdown fit without my feet feeling suffocated.
Comfort and breathability
The last pair of trail running shoes I tested, the Saucony Peregrine 14s, were quite uncomfortable and rubbed my heel, so I felt instant relief when I pulled these on to discover there was no breaking in required. I was able to wear these out on a five mile run straight away with no issues. Comfort is all but guaranteed thanks to the fit, good cushion and lack of carbon plate which means my foot can flex properly.
The uppers are really breathable. The weather has gone from cold to mild in the days I've been testing these, but even though I've continued wearing wool socks, my feet have never felt overly warm or sweaty.
Weight and protection
Merrell's lightest trail running shoe is the Skyfire 2, which I also own, and they are practically featherweight, but amazingly these shoes only have 10 grams on them. Their light weight makes them an excellent choice for longer runs as well as active travel.
The uppers have a little toe protection, and while it's certainly not as much as a more rugged shoe built for technical trails, I did kick a few roots and felled trees on a forest trail with no painful toe stubbing.
Responsiveness, grip and stability
The first time I wore these was at an extraordinarily flat, hard packed Scottish beach which stretches for miles. There's nothing about running on sand on the product page, so it was a bit of a risk, but I was really pleased with the responsiveness and was happy to bounce along for miles. I also find them more responsive on dirt trails than your average trail shoe. Obviously, when I get on the tarmac I lose some of this but while they feel a little flat compared to a road running shoe, they're comfortable enough for those runs where I need to cross a stretch of tarmac. As for trail feel, they have some but not loads, and this seems appropriate for the type of terrain they're designed for.
The 3 mm lugs around the perimeter were great on both sand and dirt trail, though I have encountered some muddy stretches and they're not quite tough enough for that. However, I think the only real issue with the outsole is that it leaves a bit of midsole exposed, so these may not be as long-lasting as some other shoes.
Though the tallest part of the sole looks fairly substantial, a wider geometry and fairly deep footbed means these have remained stable on the trail, though again, I've been sticking to lighter trails where I'm less likely to roll an ankle anyway.
Merrell Morphlite road to trail running shoes: the bottom line
These shoes are a versatile option for anyone who likes (or needs) to mix up their terrain but isn't tackling anything too technical. They're comfortable, breathable and light on your feet and your wallet, and the only reasons not to get them are really if you're looking for a very plush midsole for pounding tarmac, or planning on hitting some really rugged trails. If you're expecting more mud on the trails than these can handle, check out the Salomon Sense Ride 4.
