Merrell - Men's Nova 4

Merrells a brand that is slept on but I've had great experiences in them. I just ran a 100 miler in their Nova 4 that I got for $70 and I couldn't be happier with how they performed. It's no Topo or Altra toe box but being a lover of an Altra toe box, these were generous enough to keep me happy and blister free for over 20 hours.

By the sounds of it you don't need a trail shoe at all. I'd take a road shoe into that one personally. Not a Hoka guy but putting another good hybrid shoe on the table that I just ran 100 miles in, the Merrell Nova 4. Good grip but not clunky on the road, firm midsole that feels good over long miles, generous fit to accommodate swelling.

001s are worth it if you can find them for $150 (I got mine for $100). I was able to stack over 500 miles on them before I retired them to be my golf shoes. I went a full size up and the fit was ok. Not overly spacious but accommodating. They also run very warm but made for a great winter running shoe since they don't let water in (or out). A very boring and firm shoe that just kept going. 005s not worth it. They are light and the upper is more generous than the 001 but the lace bite through the tongue is miserable and the heel cup jabbed into my achilles like a dagger. The midsole was smoked after about 200 miles for me. I'm not big by any means at 5'9" and 170lbs, so the midsole flattening this early left me pretty disappointed. I only got 260 out of them before tossing them in the trash. I logged 100 training miles in them before running a full 100 miler in them. After those 200 miles I tried logging runs as little as 5 miles and rock hits were piercing through the shoe and my feet would kill me afterwards. So it's hard for me to recommend or justify them at their insane price tag of $325. For half the cost, the Mount to Coast H1 seems like a superior buy in almost every aspect. Heck I ran my latest 100 miler in a pair of cheap ($80) Merrell Nova 4s and they were an excellent shoe. A brand that gets slept on in the trail running space.

Try them on first. The soles are so padded and thick they are a little unstable on steep rocky trails. They are so cushy they can make me trip walking on a sidewalk if I’m not accustomed to them. I bought a pair and they stayed in a closet after one use. Later, I had a severe painful sprain which took 6-months to heal and they were a godsend because the softness helped me be active while healing. They are weird shoes and very very soft.

Most trail runners dry super fast. When temps are above 25°F or so, wool socks will keep your feet warm in trail runners even when a little damp. Shoes that dry fast are better than shoes that advertise being waterproof but never dry if they do get wet, and retain tons of sweat in all 4 seasons.

I hike around 1500 miles per year on steep rocky trails (I live next to a mountain). I only wear trail runners because many are durable, affordable, light, and breathe well. If they get wet, they dry fast too. “Hiking” shoes are always hot and heavy in comparison. Wearing boots will make your ankles weak, just wear light shoes that fit well, breathe well, and have good grip. My favorites are Brooks Cascadia and Merrell Nova. Trail runners have a lot of variety. Many are ultra light and fall apart. Many are so cushioned that you can’t feel the ground under your feet and the soles are so pillowy you’ll trip. Some are waterproof/gore so they are super hot and sweaty and never dry if they do get wet. Try them on at a store and get a feel for what is “just right.”

I just started wearing the Merrell Nova and the Merrell Agility Peak. In my opinion the Nova are way more comfortable and the grip is great. Dont bother spending more money on the Agility Peak. They arent as comfortable and the grip is the same.

I love the Merrell Nova! They are such great shoes. Did my 50k in them.

I really like them. I tried the Hokas before as well, but I would rather take the Merrells. And honestly, for the longer runs I like the Novas better than the Agility Peak or whatever they are called from Merrell, even though the Novas are cheaper. They are much more comfortable.

I get it. I've tried a bunch of shoes. Find a mid priced shoe that is comfortable and wear them out. I have found Merrell Novas and Altra Lone Peaks to be pretty comfortable. Looks for last seasons color ways and you can find them on discount. I am wearing a pair of Danner 2650's right now and they have been the best so far but they are pricey. You can find them new on Ebay and Poshmark for a pretty good discount, though.

I have flat, wide feet that are pretty sensitive and it is hard to find shoes so I've tried a bunch. Altra Lone Peaks have a really wide toe box and they were pretty comfortable. Wide width Merrell Novas were really comfortable as well. The bottom line is durability though. I have just come to accept that I will get about 6 months out of a pair of disc golf shoes. I play 3-5 time a week and there just isn't a shoe on the market that will hold up to it. You will get people on Reddit saying they get years out of shoes but I suspect they aren't playing as often as they say they are.

Merrell Nova's are pretty good and waterproof. I have 2 pairs. I don't think I can go back to non zero drop shoes after wearing Altra lonepeak 9+'s.

Over the years I’ve worn trail runners from Merrill and Salomon, or standard running shoes from Nike and NB. A comfortable fit was the main criteria. Even on wet ground I’d rather have fast drying sneakers than boots.

I actually have those Merrels in blue. I love them.

I wouldn't know haha. I have some wide feet and have no problems. About 100 miles of trails and they look like they are brand new besides mud stains.

I’ve got two pairs of trail runners 1 merrell and 1 Nike Pegasus gtx. Both 9.5ik size. The merrell are roomier but have a slightly harder sole. The Nike have a softer sole but are tight across the width of the foot. So as others have said try and get to a running shop and try them on with different types of socks.