The Merrell Morphlite is a new road-to-trail shoe that comes in cheaper than much of the competition at £100/$100. It has a lightweight, cushioned design and an outsole that can handle light trails and long stints on the road. Kieran and Nick have been putting the Merrell Morphlite to the test of late, here’s how they found it.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
01:32 – How’s The Fit
02:33 – The Run Test
08:01 – Verdict & Alternatives
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Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick in this video we're going to be Reviewing the Merill Mor [Music] Flight the mor flight is a new trail Running shoe from Merill that comes in With a very appealing price tag of £1 or $100 it's a pretty lightweight shoe Weighing in at 246 G or 8.7 o in my UK Size 9 and it has a 6.5 mm drop of the Stack out of 26 .5 at the heel 20 at the 4ot so like I said it's a good value Shoe it's a new option in merils range That's designed really for rotor trails And pretty light trails at that you can See that from the outside of the shoe Which has not that many lugs a lot of Exposed foam and the lugs in the middle Are 2 mm and designed for Road use They're quite flat and Broad lugs you've Got slightly deeper 3mm lugs to help With the time you're spending on light Trail especially when taking corners and That kind of thing but it's not really a Shoe that's designed for very technical Trails or very muddy Trails or anything Like that got a float Pro foam midsole Which is Merl's best material so it's Quite a lightweight foam there's a bit Of Bounce to it and you've got a rocker Profile on the shoe as well all around It is quite a light and Nimble feeling Shoe thanks to that midsole setup and The Rocker obviously helps smooth out
The ride when you're on the road or nice Runnable Trails you got a jackard upper With an internal booty there's a little Bit of reinforcement around the toes but Not as much again as on more uh Substantial trail shoes designed for a Harder trickier Trails Fair bit of Cushioning around the heel and tongue There and the internal heel counter as Well to help with stability at the back Of the [Music] Shoe so in testing I ran in my regular Meril size which is a UK and a half and I found the fit was spot on it's got a Great instant disappearing feel on the Foot there's nice hold in the heel from This midlevel padded heel colors you've Got here there's good wrap from the Knitted tongues I got some good secure Midfoot lock down as well I think There's really good room at the back of The toe box in that kind of big toe Knuckle Sweet Spot there and I think They're roomy enough in the toe box Itself with pretty good clearance across The top of the toes and that's helped Somewhat by these quite flexible uppers That you've got here that creates a nice Kind of breathable airiness to the Overall feel of the shoe on the foot Overall I've see no problem in Recommending going through to sizing These shoes the fit of the maramor
Flight has been all good for me in my Normal running shoe size I've got a uk9 Here which is my normal size that's a US 9.5 with Merill had a good hold around The heel and midfoot good hold with the Laces when going down Hills that kind of Thing and enough room in the toe box for Long runs on the trails or if you're Going to go downhill you're not going to Be getting cramped and hitting the front Of that toe box so yeah very happy in my Normal running shoe [Music] Size so I've run 55k in the maram Moore Flight and most that's been done across A range of short runs at a mix of Paces But mostly fairly relaxed I've done one Run with a bit of progression in it and I've done some strides in the shoe as Well in terms of the surfaces I've been Running on it's been in my local Forest Here in London eping Forest which Throughout the time I've been testing The shoe has alternated between being Quite dry and very muddy like every time It rains it does get quite claggy in There so I've been in some mud in the Shoe as you can see as as well as Running on pretty well-groomed Forest Paths a little bit of gravel and some Grass and a fair bit of road to and from The forest and some Road sections within It as well so a mix of nice light Trails Which is really what the shoe is
Intended for I'd say and I've enjoyed Running in the marmore flight for sure I Think I've used it more or less exactly How the shoe is intended to be used Which is pretty relaxed runs on fairly Light Trails nice summer months here in The UK so you're running in the sun on Harder Trails where you can and it does A good job in that it's comfortable it's Got a nice lightweight feel got a little Bit of a rocker there the foam is really Quite comfortable and cushion despite The fact it's not the highest stack shoe In the world and you're getting a little Bit of Bounce there can pick up the pace In it if you want to because it is a Pretty lightweight shoe as well but most Of the time just cruising around in it And it felt really good for that purpose Like you know a very enjoyable shoe it's Also very comfortable on the road like It does run like a road shoe on the road For sure you're not really getting any Kind of skittery feeling from the lugs Any lack of comfort there with the mid Soole you have here and the lug set up And the lugs enough grip there when You're on the light Trails little Sections of M will cope with okay Especially if you're mostly running on Pretty flat stuff like if you hit you Know any kind of slippery section on a Downhill then you are in trouble and That in general is the problem with the
Mor flight the outside really is pretty Lightweight so on a couple of runs I've Done in more wet conditions there's been More muddy patches and it does slip Pretty quickly if you are in kind of any Kind of mud similarly if you hit wet Patches of rock and harder surfaces Where you're not really getting you You're getting quite uneven ground to Land on when it's wet it's going to slip A bit on that as well like this outle is Very much built for light Trails rotor Trail running kind of park pass you know Well groomed Forest pass really well Established trails and if I dove off Those even within a forest like eping Forest which is you know hardly the wild West here if I hit the smaller paths Within it you're going to come on start Quite quickly I definitely felt that as I mentioned when you're descending in The shoe so if you are on treacherous Conditions at all on descents like it Doesn't feel like a shoe that's really Going to find grip for you and offer you That kind of you know reliable feeling Under foot so obviously it isn't one That's built for those big technical Trails Mountain Trails Merill has got Other shoes to do all of that this is a Road to Trail Cruiser and it does that Job really well so when the weather has Been good and I've stuck to those wroom Trails on the road it's been a great
Shoe for that it really is comfortable Yeah it's got a really nice ride to it All around the shoe I found very Appealing and I wanted to pull on again And use again only concerned with that Probably would be the durability on the Out sole especially if you hit kind of More grity sections that are likely to Rough it up a bit more got a little bit Of wear and tear there at the hill like It's not much at all but after 55k Probably wouldn't be expecting to see Anything at all and I think if you are Going to hit those yeah like I said Those kind of rougher surfaces those Almost sand it down then you are going To see a bit of wear you stick to kind Of more hard- packed mud that I've been Running on most of the time and that Kind of thing or even grassy sections You're not going to get that kind of Wear I think but there might be a slight Concern especially there's also a lot of Exposed foam in the midsole here as well So in testing I've logged 35 km in the Meril morph flight I've done plenty of Road commuting to my regular off-roads I've thrown in Long stretches of flat Compact River trails with some more kind Of Rolling Hills the odd excursions Across dry grassy Fields but I have to Say that most of my running has been on Really manageable runnable terrain Nothing too technical complicated too
Steep so I'm very much judging this shoe For its easier Trail credentials rather Than anything that's more challenging But then I think generally that's what The shoe is built for so it's a good way To judge it I found this it's a really Easy shoe to run in right from the start I think it's natural it's balanced it's Comfortable it's noticeably light I Think compared to some other trail shoes It's what I'd call a happy clip along Along trailer and for my easy miles Along the firmer temps path where it's Really kind of clear running there's no Routes and bumps and stuff they were Great and as much as I forgot that I was Wearing them straight out of the box They disappear really nicely I'd say the Mids so is tuned medium soft and there's Certainly enough cushioning here for the Morphite to feel good on the firmer Ground and even on the road but you're Also not sacrificing too much ground Fill when you get onto those kind of Softer Trail or the lumpier bumpier Rooted sections the bits where you want To feel a little bit more of the terrain Coming up under foot so you can feel Where your foot placement is there's a Good immediacy to the way the midell Responds as well there's a mild roering Here to smooth things out a little and Help with that overall rolling ease the Wide 4 foot that you've got here makes
For a stable ride to overall I plac this Shoe somewhere between shoes like the Innovate Trail flight the firmer end and I got the kind of speed goat five the More cushioned and think it's a happy Place to be in the middle of that I Might even choose it over the meril Agility Peak for Tamer shorter faster Trails if your park run has bits of Tarmac and off-road sections this could Be a good shoe to consider for that now The twin length lugs here are Deliberately quite short to boost that Multi-terrain versatility and though They work well for the road and the dry Compact stuff like soft River Pils I've Mentioned and gravel tracks you know the Groom stuff I've not tested them in the Wet it's been really dry here mainly on My run so they may well lack that allout Traction when you get into really Testing conditions anything that's Steep And wet and slippy the shallow lugs Don't also look like they're going to Offer much when things get really muddy I also think they might wear out quite Fast too there's also not the most Extensive coverage of outsole rubber Across the out soole so I don't expect These shoes maybe to last as long as Some robust Traders although I'm not Seeing any worrying signs here now There's also not much by the way of toe Protection up top but you're going to
Sacrifice some of that toebox Reinforcement there for this overall Light Road sort of Trail shoe Feel onto my verdict then and at £100 or $100 for a shoe that will handle road to Very light Trails those kind of easy Clear uncluttered kind of off-roading I Think the moref flight represents pretty Good value for money it's definitely a Shoe that I think first timers on the Trail will find accessible not just on The price but also how it feels on the Foot and how it runs it's got a Fuss-free comfort good balance and an Easy rolling ride there's a positive mix Here of protection lightness mildly Respons Ive ride that's stable and Reliable now I was a really big fan of The Merill agility Peak I think that was A great shoe and I think this is another Really capable shoe from Merill it's Deployed the same float Pro foam to Great effect here it's also quite Impressive that they've managed to bring These shoes in barely heavier than their Racier Skyfire too and if you're looking For something to handle tricky rugged Trails i' probably look Beyond this shoe Other shoes like the speed goat 5 or the Meral agility Peak also for longer an Ultra but for a light versatile easy Trail shoe it's a good option it's the Kind of shoe you could probably stick in Your suitcase if you've only got space
For one shoe on a holiday where you Think you're going to be chasing mix Terrain but it is I really like the mer Morl I think it's a really good shoe That would serve my needs very well for The upcoming you months of pretty good Weather we have coming in the UK here I Stick to mostly quite light trails Around me and it does the job on those Really very well it's comfortable gives You a little bit of grip when required Compared to a road Che if you do tackle Something that's a little bit slippery Or shifting under 30 that little bit of Extra grip which can be helpful and it Is very comfortable and nice to cruise Around it an easy pace and you can pick Up the pace in it if you want to as well CU it is a pretty lightweight shoe you Know even if you are going on slightly Harder Trails as long as it's you know Quite dry they it's a pretty good shoe For those as well I think it does come And startop quite quickly in the wet and In particular if you're going to go down Any kind of steep descent like I would Look for a more substantial outside to Give you that more reliable grip Especially when it is even slightly wet Like this is not a shoe for that it is a Road to tra Cruiser and it's one that is Very comfortable on the road as well has Been good on the trail so I think it's a Really good option for those looking for
A cheaper road to Trail shoe or their First Trail shoe you're going to mostly Spend your time things like Park paths Gravel roads like I say forest paths and The maram war flight will cope of those All really well and also it's Comfortable enough to just use on road Runs as well if that's all you're able To do that day so yeah it's definitely Ticks those boxes really well it's Comparable to something like the Nike Pegasus Trail I guess in that effect but A fair bit cheaper also a lot cheaper And I enjoyed running this more than the Oncloud surfer Trail that's another road To Trail shoe that's very comfortable on The roads but I'd say this is more Comfortable and then has equally good Grip on the trails and a nicer feeling All around I'd say than the slightly Firmer uh ride you get on the cloud Surfer Trail this is soft but not at all Squishy or unstable or anything like That it it was like a really nice Balanced ride that is comfortable for Longer distances on those light Trails If you like some root to trail shoes That have a bit more bite there is the Hoka Challenger 7 that's a shoe I really Like as well that again is an outside Has an outside that is very much geared For rot to Trail it's not going to Tackle anything too treacherous but it Is a slightly better outsole on things
Like mild mud or shifting ground and for Descending and that kind of thing a bit More durable as well so that's an option That you could upgrade to if you wanted A slightly more substantial road to Trail shoe and then if you want a General good value alternative to the Marmore flight that is the same price Here in the UK that's the evict Mt Cushion 2 now this is much more of an Allrounder Trail shoe it's got good Amount of cushioning it's got a really Good outside that can handle pretty much Any kind of terrain it's very much a Little bit like the peragine or Something like that from saky well That's another good alternative to this As well that's a really good all around The trail Sho with a more substantial Out soole although you have to spend a Fair bit more on the peragine but the Evct mty cushion too it's from the Cathlon it's a really good trail shoe For pretty much any distance it's not as Comfortable as the Merill and it's not As good on the road because it has got a More Trail focused out so but that's Another 10000 shoe that can handle a bit Of everything on the trails but like I Say not as comfortable as the mar Mo Flight and this is definitely a better Road to Trail shoe so yeah all around Enjoyed it very much if for someone like Me it would be a great Trail shoe I
Could use for a large parts of the year Just avoiding using it when it gets too Wet or muddy around [Music] Me that's our review of the meral more Flight let us know what you think in the Comments below please do like and Subscribe ring the little bell and we'll See you next time
