Extra validation post- just ran the Sawatch 50k today in this shoe. Techy Mtn races? Oh yes they do perform! 9-13k elevation, 7k of vert

Thanks guys, awesome and informative video as always! How would you compare these to the nike zegama 2? I'm looking for something comfy and I'm looking at these two 🤔 thanks!

I love this shoe. This shoe has the best outsole and love the midsole. Prodigio - does the outsole work on wet surfaces??

This was a very informative video! I would like to ask if you have tried the fujispeed 2/3? Do you have any thoughts about it?

"its very approachable" haha had a barista in Ashland say that to me about a coffee roast....

Not at all what's important here however what sunglasses are you wearing? Congrats on your race. I really enjoyed this video!

I dont get why shoe companies are still making shoes which such narrow toe boxes not even shaped to human feet

Can’t wait to see your future video on the VJ Maxx2… and how they compare to the Long Sky Matrix.

Hi ! great review i’m interested in these, have a question regarding the fit. It seems that it breaks-in as you first thought these were too small… so for someone like me between two sizes would you recommend to take the smaller one ? the 10.5 seems tight, but the 11 maybe too long/wide for me… if they breaks-in this should be good isn’t it ?

Zegama 2 or Zinal 2?

Can’t believe that yall love this outsole. Took the rift out on a rainy day here in East Tennessee and it literally would not bite onto anything. On a 3.6 mile trail loop it didn’t once grip onto a rock or root. Slipped on push off every time. I honestly feel like this is the worst trail outsole on any shoe, even worse than Nike rubber. Changed into the adidas agravic speed ultra for the second loop, and even with its very west coast oriented 2.5/3.5mm lugs, it gripped everything. I went out of my way to put it into worse situations than the rift and it stuck every time. Lug depth and configuration aren’t everything, you gotta have a good outsole compound. I hate seeing what would be good trail shoes get wasted with bad outsoles, Saucony has zero wet weather grip, north face has zero durability. They both need to stop the complacency and improve. Salomon used to be in the same boat with wet weather grip but got better with the thundercross and genesis. Sunday day drinking rant over😂😂😂

Brooks Caldera 7 💯%

Another great video, cheers guys! Merrell are knocking out the park with these and the AP5. I believe this shoe has a torsion plate in the midsole very similar to the original Adidas Speed Ultra.

A really fair review. And the negative points that you guys raised resonate with me, in particular the movement of the forefoot in that wide toe box. I've spent the last two years running in the Nnormal Kjerag and the MTN Racer 3 is the first Topo that I've run in. But I'm really, really struggling with dialling in the lacing. If I go for a lace lock the midfoot is so tight, and with that rigid upper material the sides of my feet become painful, but I have a little less lateral slippage in the forefoot. However over a long distance it's just too painful. So, I forgo the lace lock and then my fore foot is moving all over the place , particularly on descents and technical terrain. It seems by going for a slightly wider fore foot toe box I've definitely sacrificed a more secure ride and just some general nimbleness, but I'm still puzzled why I've sacrificed these attributes because the MTB Racer 3 doesn't seem to offer anything else. I agree the durability of the sole is not in question, but to be honest, I've gotten at least a 1000kms out of each pair of Kjerags that I've owned (and they're way more breathable and have decent drainage too). I'm really non-plussed as to the positives of the MTN Racer 3 in regards to my needs. The original idea was to have a shoe that was more suited to running longer Ultras for when my feet swell(+100 milers), but I seriously doubt I'll use my pair for anything longer than a 2/3 hour run. However I'm very excited at the prospect of the Merrell Long Sky 2 Matryx - now that really does sound like a shoe that'll fulfill my needs (although maybe not for the +100 milers).

My wife has same ankle issues with many shoes, this shoe no exception. She's pondering returning them if skipping the top eyelet doesn't help. You are not alone, Mr Low Ankles!

For people with haglund heels or pump bump the 6’s are a huge step back from the 5’s. Really hoping they don’t put structure in the Mafate 5’s. Please continue to review the heel counter in your videos 👌

Kiprun race light is very similiar this shoes , cost 100 Euros in E.U , but my favorite is Kiprun MTC 2 is best polyvalant shoes for me, cost 110 euros, all have Matrix ...

I picked up a pair of these recently, and I'm enjoying them. Heel is a bit big, but I'm able to get a decent lock down. I wish they made something in the moderate stack with a similar design and foam under 10oz. The 300 looks good, but it's still over 10oz and doesn't use the dream foam. Love the toe box and forefoot stability. Outsole already showing a little bit of wear from dry rocky California trails though in just 20 miles.

They look pretty slick. I always thought of them as just hiking boots

Would be cool to resole a supershoe like a Vaporfly with a trail outsole and see how it performs.

Quelle est la meilleure chaussure entre Caldera 7 et zegama 2 en générale selon vous ? Laquelle est la plus stable ? La plus adaptée pour les sentiers techniques ? Zegama 2 est plus réactive et dynamique ?

I think one thing you didn’t talk about that is worth mentioning is how well it drains after getting soaked. As a swimrunner I tend to be extra sensitive to that feature and after a couple of 30-60km races in this shoe, I believe that this is one of - if not the - best in that regard.

Nice video guys, another shoe that seems to fall in to the same category (light, low stack, matryx, vibram) is the scarpa spin race) what do you think?

Great stuff, thanks for the shout out, I'll stop bugging you about the AP5 then :-)

'Just a little bit long' doesn't go far enough :) 1/2size down was (and still is -- Why, Merrell?) unavailable, or I would've returned this TTS pair for that, but if I was buying the shoe again, I would go a full size down and see if it worked. I would also argue the slapping feel is due to this sizing issue. BTW about the wonderful insole: The Saucony Xodus beaded insole is *twice* as thick, and with all that extra toebox room fits just fine in the MTL -- worth keeping in mind for longer runs....! I share the excitement about this model, will be using it a lot. Plain white colorway is best.

Tromsø Skyrace unfortunately isn't put on anymore, last years edition was the final one (for now), so you can sleep safe from exposed ridges, Brett.

Same recipe from the norda 002 and sort of like the real predecessor the innov8 g270. Some people will really really like it and take it far like Diego at hardrock

Pretty sure Emilie the 1st female at RRR this weekend was also wearing these when she flew by me like I was running backwards around mile 60

No air-cooled traction lugs? No Service..... great review, guys.

Brett, I completely agree about the slappy feel on flat, smooth terrain.

Part of my weekly rotation. Also have a separate (white and clean!) pair for casual/travel wear. Raced a 50 miler in the Sangre di Cristo Mountains in Colorado in the original version. Light, agile and surprisingly comfortable for a medium thickness midsole trail shoe. The lugs really claw into the terrain. The Matryx is a big improvement as the original version had a poorly fitted and overly thick upper. The best of Merrell’s underrated trail running shoes: The Agility Peak 5 is superior to the Hoka Speedgoat in all respects except heel lockdown; the Skyfire is amazingly fun for shorter uphills and speed-training. Highly recommend for training up to 20 miles in steep rocky terrain especially. Can use for ultras but there are many better options. Should note that the upper colors stamped into the Matryx wear out fairly quickly. Given comparatively lower price and discounts readily available, you can’t afford not to buy it.

Thank you for this review. I have the non Matryx version, and there are several differences, all with the upper. The upper is still super light weight, super breathable. It appears to be two layers of mesh, the inner being very fine, the out a very visible mesh. I get a lot pf air flow, but it allows sandy soil to sneak through. The lacing system also looks very different. More of what I think you’d call a guile style lace. The gusseted tongue and this lacing system gives me the same lock down I’d get from a racing spike, but with plenty of toe box room. The upper is much less durable, I got small hole at the pinky toe at about 100 miles. It’s not much bigger after 160 but I still worry, as I prefer to takes shoes 500+. I’ve never felt it’s had a rock plate. Walking on hard surfaces, I feel the outsole through the midsole. Rock hits are possible through this midsole as well w/o that plate. I’ve raced a 30k in this shoe in the SE and wished I had the rock plate of the cascadia. I have a bit of an arch issue in this shoe which keeps me from longer races in it, but I still want to try.

Very useful- thanks. Not to be sniffed at then, if I see an offer…

Merrell definitely jumped onto the scene with some great shoes. Definitely go down a half size with this shoe. So much more step in comfort than the VJ maxx 2. Id like to see what you think of tbe skyfire.

I run a lot in Merrell trailshoes ( 2 pairs of Skyfire V1 and 2 pairs of Agility Peak 5) but the uppers always got ripped. My dream ultrashoe would be a AP5 with a matryx upper. So I hope that Merrell brings matryx to their other trailshoes. I might get a pair of these Long Skys for sub-marathon races. They look supercool too!

Great review as usual! Thank you for showing the tongue construction and insole! I might give this shoe a chance if I can find great deals. Still plenty of life left in my current 10+ running shoes 😅

Would absolutely love to see some Arcteryx shoes come into the channel if you want to keep bringing new brands in! The Long Sky looks wicked.

What is the difference between this and cascadia 18 gtx thanks

With X3 since you don’t have as much air pushing into the heel area of the shoe due to gator sort of sealing it up, the “pressure” could be different within the shoe so water doesn’t drain as easily? I know, I’m no hydrodynamics or physics guy so could be completely speaking out of my (inset word here).

I really really really didn’t want to like this shoe….but dang it is sooo much fun to run in so far. Agree with all the observations as well. This is the first Hoka shoe in a very long time that I think will actually work for me. Of course it has to be the most expensive 😂.

Topos…….. I just got a pair of their road shoes and dig them interested to see how the trail shoes are

Great video as always. How can we tell when the midsoles wear out? I have both the Speed Ultra and TNF, with a little over 200 miles on both. I feel like the Speed Ultras just got a bit firmer and TNF have started to feel a bit softer. I’m wondering if it’s the midsoles changing or just my perception of the feel changing based on where they are in my rotation. Thank you!

Appreciate this format. Please consider doing more multi brand comparisons! Testing the MegaFuji, which may be the most stylish super shoe of all. No verdict yet except that the Tecton X 3 is just a much better option for the mountains in practically every respect. I would love to see a MegaFuji-FujiSpeed 3 hybrid with less cushioning in the heel plus a Finn-approved gaiter!

Great write up. I know I’m late to the comment party here… but deciding between these and zegama 1’s for the mammoth 50k. Which do you think would be better suited for the course?

Thanks for this info. Really helpful 🙌🏻

Being fully transparent here I have 75 miles on the Hoka Tecton X 3 and they have already delaminated above the carbon wings. It is a design flaw without a doubt. The X 2.5 does not have the wing. I do not see this shoe being durable. I have pictures if you want them.

I have Speedgoat 5 and i hate it so much. I dont understand, why would anyone wear them.

Thompson Eric White Deborah White Jason

Binge watching the channel now….love it. I’m in the market for new trail shoes and perfect timing

I can send you guys pictures of Hoka Tecton X 3s that have already fallen apart over the carbon wings. 150 miles on them.