Merrell Nova - First Run

I received a pair of the Merrell Nova when I arrived at my Ragnar Trail Tetons relay in Wyoming. I don't have a ton of trail running experience, but my understanding is that Merrell doesn't have a long history of making trail running shoes. So I think it may be a good match. (update: it has been pointed out to me that Merrell has been making trail running shoes for a number of years).

I took the Merrell Nova for a 6.67 mile run/hike up the mountain from 8,000' to 10,000'. It was a struggle for me, as I'm unaccustomed to either altitude or hills. But the Merrell Nova were able to handle the terrain and climbing without a problem.

The shoe is nice and roomy, with a beefy amount of protection from rocks and uneven terrain with its Vibram outsole, rock plate, and EVA midsole. I had concerns that this roomy shoe might not be able to get tight enough for downhill running, but I didn't experience any issue. The shoe was up the challenge of uphill and downhill and, unlike me, hardly broke a sweat.

The shoe was also quite comfortable and competent for the other parts of the weekend where I was walking around the campsites and wearing the shoes just generally for the weekend. I think if I only wanted to bring one pair of shoes for a camping/running weekend, this would be a great option.

Disclosures: this is a pair of shoes that I received for free as part of winning a contest by Ragnar Trail and one of its sponsors, Merrell. I am not being paid to make this video or to wear these shoes. No one will have an opportunity to see any of my content before it goes live on YouTube.

Merrell Nova:

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The charity runner for the week is Scott Boatwright, who will be raising money for Rising New York Road Runners by running the Chicago Marathon. I've donated $70 to his fundraising efforts and hope you'll consider joining me.

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