MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx

For ridge terrain as pictured? Merrell long sky matryx. Apart from some La Sportiva shoes, nothing else is quite as confidence instilling on similar terrain, I think Merrell has the more accomodating toe box and dialed fit. Really under the radar in terms of a technical goat.

Another vote for the long sky

kinda built in. But It wasn't bad enough that I wouldn't use a pair if someone gave em too me, but I wasn't gunna spend $100 on em. I have my alerts setup incase they drop in price significantly. I believed my feet would get used to it, I didn't cancel them as an option. Solomon X Ultra wide's I couldn't do cuz of my right foot hated the arch, even if its minimal. So it's always my right foot that dictates if I can handle any type of arch scenario.

Man, I just got a pair of EACH, Merrell MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx, and skyfire 2 matryx I'm really excited to try them out. I wear a 10 in my lone peaks, and got these in a 10 as well. Upper will definitely be breathable, you can see the light thru it. REI is doing a sale, and many other places. I have some off trail/game trail/steep off camber, loose shit show nonsense I hike regularly that I am excited to try these on. I feel like the Altras are great for nice established trails but I am definitely seeing what people mean about side to side play, especially off trail. Once this snow clears out I'll have some updates on these and I plan to post back in here, because my hunt for tolerable shoes that aren't Altra's has been a pain. [https://www.merrell.com/US/en/mtl-long-sky-2-matryx/59211M.html?dwvar\_59211M\_color=J068581#cgid=men-footwear-trail-running&start=1](https://www.merrell.com/US/en/mtl-long-sky-2-matryx/59211M.html?dwvar_59211M_color=J068581#cgid=men-footwear-trail-running&start=1) [https://www.merrell.com/US/en/mtl-skyfire-2-matryx/59188M.html](https://www.merrell.com/US/en/mtl-skyfire-2-matryx/59188M.html)

They didn't ask for particularly wide. They asked for wide-ish. Also as stated they're on sale. No one recommended these when I looked for Altra lone peak alternatives and I was impressed when I tried them on a whim how they felt.

I literally went up a ridge in the Rockies with them two weeks ago. It was wet and muddy and steep and they felt good and reliable. Only issue would be how thin they are for colder temps. Great for summer, should be suitable for fall.

I like the Prodigio Pro as well, but at that distance with rocky and steep terrain I also like the Merrell Long Sky 2 Matryx. It feels a bit more streamlined and nimble to me than the Prodigio Pro, making the Long Sky nicely suited for steep and rocky terrain in my mind. Also the upper of the Long Sky has been more durable for me than the Prodigio Pro.

As always it’s very personal depending on how well the shoe fits my feet and the terrain I’m running in (technical mountains, mud, rocky). I like sky running races around 20-30k and VK’s. Sometimes short road races from 5k to Half Marathon. Current rotation: - Merrell Long Sky 2 Matryx. Great allrounder. - VJ Ultra 3. Cushion. Great for easy and long runs. - NNormal Kjerag Brut (mud) - Salomon Aero Glide 3 (road and treadmill) Recently retired shoes: - Nnormal Kjerag 1. Fast but too small lugs to have good grip in mud/loose debris. Too little cushion for me. Kjerag 2 has more cushion but same outsole. - Nnormal Tomir 2. Great allrounder but didn’t fit my feet (too little big toe space). A bit heavy when wet because the insole keeps a lot of water. - Salomon S/lab Genesis. Great allrounder but worse grip on wet rocks than Vibram Megagrip and VJ. - VJ Maxx 2. Really good allrounder. But didn’t fit my feet (too little big toe space). Shoes I’m considering next: - La Sportiva Prodigio Pro - Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx - Merrell Skyfire 2 Matryx

I have it in UK 9 which is my usual size. If you’re familiar with Salomon sizing, I also wear UK 9 in their shoes. Same for the VJ Ultra 3. On me the Merrell Long Sky 2 Matryx has a nice lockdown around the midfoot with extra toe space. Exactly how I like it for my narrow feet and big toe. A couple of things worth noting about the LS2 Matryx: - There can be a bit of space between the ankle collar and the foot which can let in small debris. I don’t use gaiters but I’ve seen some use it in areas with lots of loose dirt or stones. A knit collar here could really take the shoe to the next level. - I’ve seen people mention that the heel could use a bit more cushioning, but I haven’t had that issue personally. Overall I’m very happy with the LS2 Matryx for the terrain it’s designed for. Would give it a 4 to 4.5 out of 5. A knit collar would take it to 5/5.