While not the best for longer distances, the Merrell Nova 2 can hold up to a beating. With strong stitching and a carefree attitude to heavy, robust materials, the upper isn’t coming apart any time soon. The RW Takeaway: The men’s Nova and women’s Antora are sturdy and versatile daily trainers for the trail, with ample cushioning and protection to take on longer efforts and rugged terrain. The combination of generous cushioning, secure versatile traction and overall comfort of the upper make the Nova 2 and Antora 2 attractive options for a “one shoe does it all” trainer as well as for single-day high mileage outings on varied terrain. Both the Nova 2 and Antora 2 are offered in GTX versions for a slightly higher price point, but we tested the standard non-GTX versions. With the Antora 2, Merrell includes women’s-specific Q FORM® 2 dual-density midsole to provide light pronation relief with minimal guidance in the midsole construction. To discourage excessive lateral motion, the shoe has a stabilizing post below the arch as well as softer foam under the medial heel and lateral forefoot. This setup allows for less sideways movement during each foot strike which occurs more commonly in female runners. Above the midsole, the last and upper of the Antora 2 is slightly thinner and more contoured than the Nova 2, particularly through the rear and midfoot. Seeing as Merrell hasn’t worried so much about the weight of the Nova 2, I’d love to see them add a heel-loop just as an added benefit. Conclusion

That being said, 310g puts it in the same weight class as stability shoes, which often have far more things going on in the midsole that the Nova 2. Please put a heel tab on shoes NID cookie, set by Google, is used for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to mute unwanted ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads. Nothing about the Merrell Nova 2 feels particularly fast, which isn’t too much of a surprise when it weighs in at 10.9oz (310g). It’s surprisingly lighter than I expected when looking at it. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. From an upper standpoint, there’s nothing remarkable about the Nova. It uses a fairly traditional lightweight mesh with thin TPU overlays in the midfoot and synthetic leather paneling anchoring the lace system through the rearfoot. The mesh breathes and dries well, and durability was satisfactory in rough terrain.

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While quite soft, the Vibram outsole is well-established and lasts a solid 400-miles The Merrell Nova 2 isn’t the lightest Merrell’s venture into trail running shoes was a move motivated by a demand for growth, coinciding with yet another change in ownership. In 1997, Karhu sold Merrell to Wolverine World Wide, who expanded the brand’s scope to include lighter-weight styles of footwear. The “Jungle Runner,” Merrell’s debut trail running model, enlisted defining features from their extensive hiking boot catalog, perhaps most notably an aggressively lugged outsole and protective upper. While not a commercial success, the Jungle Runner helped set the bearing for future Merrell trail running shoes. Their lineup today continues to pull from their hiking-boot-making origin, with many models straddling the separation between the two types of foot travel. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. With solid construction, plenty of grip, and an easy 9.3mm drop, the Merrell Nova 2 are a well-suited beginner trail shoe. They are also incredibly versatile and suits anything from fast, day hikes to easy trail runs. Who should buy the Merrell Nova 2 A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.

I am a mid to forefoot striker, and the Nova 2 had more than enough cushioning for me for the long haul. I would imagine someone looking for a fast trail racer for 20 miles or under might find the cushioning a bit too soft. (Certainly my Altra Superiors feel way faster, but they don’t offer the long-haul cushioning or the protection of these shoes.) These are not speedwork or short-racing trail shoes; these are long mile trainers or amazing hiking shoes.”