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.

While it's more of a trail shoe the Merrell Nova 4 worked great for me at my 100 miler last weekend. I came from running my trail 100s in the Altra Olympus series. The merrells weren't as spacious but were surprisingly more generous than expected and I had no blisters after. Cushioning was firm but supportive over the long haul. I don't have them (yet) but will likely end up trying the Mount to Coast H1 that comes out soon. Sounds like the toe box is very accommodating with ample cushioning and a nice road to trail outsole.

Both are great. TG is more technical and a tighter shoe. The nova is comfier and works well on roads too

Merrell Nova 4 and New Balance Nitrel V6 are both 4E wide. If you go with either of those, or another soft woven mesh trail runner, do yourself a favor and extend their life by getting some Shoe Goo that you can coat a thin layer over the fabric on inside of your feet where the base of your big toe is. This will prevent the soft mesh fabric from ripping due to abrasions cause by having wide feet. I've started doing this pre-emptively and it's helped extend the shoe's lifespan significantly compared to previously not doing anything. Signed, a Rocksylvanian.

Would be worth a trip to your local REI or outdoor store and try several on. Shoes are a very personal fit and preference. That’s why there are different drops and toe box’s and widths. Most of us have brands we prefer of course but don’t mean it will be good for you. I happen to have those Solomon’s and they are a nice shoe but also love my Merrells as well.

The Thundercross has deeper lugs and will be better on soft ground. The Nova has shallower lugs and is a good intro option for someone who runs on firm ground. They will fit very differently, so trying them on will be essential. The way they fit your feet is much more important than what we, random internet people, tell you is "better".

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.