Merrell is unveiling a new collection of running and hiking shoes this spring, and here at Hiking Lady we’re excited to say we have already taken the whole lineup for many test trail runs and hikes!

Inspired by the minimalist running movement, which intends to help better connect the hiker or runner to the earth through a more natural foot movement, the new M-Connect series is a very unique lineup. Most of the shoes have a 0mm drop, and all have low stack heights.

What is this minimalist running/hiking thing all about anyway?

It all started when a Harvard University study looked into the foot-strike patterns and the impact of running barefoot. Then the bestselling book Born to Run was published, discussing how people from a little known tribe in Mexico can run 100 or more miles a day wearing only thin soled sandals. Shoe companies like Vibram and Merrell are figuring out that people may really benefit from less cushioning, not more, as well as “no drop”, meaning that your heel sits at the same height as the rest of your foot.

Merrell’s M-Connect Shoes

Proterra

The Proterra is the brand new light hiker that has many minimalist features. As soon as we laced up our sample pair, it was very noticeable how light weight these shoes are. They come up over the ankle, and provide just enough cushioning to make hikes on dirt and rock comfortable. When hiking, we definitely felt that we had a closer connection to the terrain because the tread depth is relatively flat.

Mix Master

The Mix Master was definitely our favorite pair of the group, likely because it felt less like a barefoot shoe than the others. It has a 4mm drop, whereas all of the other shoes have 0mm drop, meaning that your heel will be at the same level as your toes. Plus the Island Green color was so vibrant it drew attention from other hikers and joggers when we were out on local trails. The mesh is highly breathable, so our feet were cold when testing on sub 50 degree days, but they’ll be perfect for spring and summer runs.

Bare Access Arc 2

The Bare Access Arc 2 has a 0mm drop, as you can see in the photo. They have more cushioning and support than the most minimalist pair, the Vapor Glove, and provided the most comfortable authentic minimalist feel on the trail. We definitely felt the road and trail more, and since we’re not used to barefoot running, we noticed our legs felt like they got even more of a workout than usual. All of the cushioning on traditional running shoes and even the Mix Master give a sensation of being disconnected from the trail. The whole point of these minimalist shoes, especially the Bare Access 2 and the Vapor Glove is to feel the ground beneath you. After getting used to the low 4mm drop of the Mix Master and 8mm of cushion, the Bare Access 2 is the next step in going minimalist with 0mm drop!

Vapor Glove

The Vapor Glove is named very appropriately – they are like a glove around your foot! When testing these we felt ever bit of the ground beneath our feet, and ultimately decided to wear these for yoga and gym workouts. The traction is excellent Vibram sticky rubber, so these could probably also be used for casual gym rock climbing or bouldering! When we try that we’ll post an update.

Overall thoughts on the line?

We really like how light weight the shoes are, which made a noticeable difference on longer trail runs and hikes. For casual hikers, I think that a minimalist hiking shoe would be welcome, since they tend to be comfortable due to how light weight they are. However, I expect that most hikers are still going to want more traction and cushioning.

For trail runners, the M-Connect series is going to be very popular! We were especially excited about the Mix Master and Bare Access 2, and they were very comfortable on grass, dirt trails, and even rockier trails.

Have any readers tried barefoot trail running yet? How about wearing minimalist shoes like the ones we tried from Merrell?

Check out the whole line up of minimalist shoes at Merrell’s website.

Happy trails!

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