Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

Hit the trail with confidence in these popular Merrell trail runners. This version pairs a clean, athletic design with functional comfort. The Quantum Grip™ outsoles can handle extreme terrain.
Imported.
View the Merrell Nova Product LineView all Merrell Men's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
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Trail-Running Shoe Type | Light-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Moderate Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 8 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 29 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 21 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Engineered mesh/TPU |
Lining | 100% recycled mesh |
Midsole | FloatPro foam |
Support | FLEXconnect dual-directional flex grooves |
Outsole | Merrell Quantum Grip rubber |
Rock Plate | No |
Vegan | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 3.39 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
Sustainability | Contains recycled materials |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |
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U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
UK | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 |
EU | 40 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 43 | 43.5 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 |
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I have a pair that I bought 4 months ago. They have a huge hole where the mesh panel meets the rubber. It continues to rip along the seam. That is the right side. The left is starting to rip now too. Don’t waste your money. Cheap garbage
We're sorry to hear this happened to you. We stand behind our products and we'd love to do all we can to help. We have a 1 year warranty on our products for any manufacturing defects. Please visit our ‘Contact Us’ page at the link below and fill out the Warranty Form to start a claim. We can also help at 800-288-3124 if you need any assistance. Thank you. https://shorturl.at/yPFaG
I'm really torn on this iteration of the Nova. I love Nova shoes; I always buy multiple pairs of them in differing colorways. This newest version has a slightly wider toe box in normal width, which makes them extremely comfortable in my normal size right out of the box. I am not a fan of the new styling at all. I hate how they've gone with the wider/thicker appearing sole. Styling is just as important as fit and how comfortable they are in today's market with so many options available. I do not anticipate buying any more pairs during this generation of the Nova because of this. They are extremely comfortable which I've come to expect, but the reduced stars are due to the styling.
The Nova 4 offered impressive durability and grip, with a wider toe box and larger fit. It is among the best trail shoes that I’ve worn. They do all the important things extremely well, and I've found myself wanting to wear them for everything, everyday beyond just trail running.
Thank you for your great review!
I just got a pair of Nova 4's for spring trail running and training in Colorado. I love them right out of the box. Nice fit, adequate cushioning and great traction on varied trails and terrain.
Thank you for your great review!
Overall very solid shoe and comfortable day 1 usage. Only reason not a 5 is when going downhill on a moderate rating trail the top lace was digging into my ankle. It had been a long hike already and not sure how much of that was the shoe vs just my fatigue. Would recommend and would consider another pair of these in the future even with that.
Great trail running shoes for faster paced runs but also for longer distances. Fairly light weight. Fit my fairly wide feet really well, and the quality seems top. Outsole has great traction in wet conditions.
So far they've been to the top of Mauna Kea and the 2 hour Captian Cook Trail on Hawaii. Next up is fishing in Key West. Great design and comfort (I added an insert ... but I do that on every shoe I buy). I do like the angle of the rear sole which is great for decents. The fit is slighlty larger than I was expecting ... I'm an 8 but probably could have gone with a 7.5 which is surprising for a trail shoe. I have another Merrell trail shoe that I bought for mountain biking and they are pretty tight in comparison.
Thanks for the great rating, Rob!
I'm starting to think that I really got lucky on this one. This shoe turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. I had been scouring the ultra-comfortable market (On, Hoka, Nike, Brooks) and after several attempts to find a really comfortable, stable shoe that has a great toe box; I found these. Maybe they are a good match for my feet. Maybe it was the fact that the first attempt was the perfect size. I'm not sure, but I really like these shoes.
Had to stop running a few years ago but this is the best walking/trail shoe I've found. Like a lot of people I've looked for many years and all kinds of brands and types before getting to this shoe. Like it so much I've ordered additional pairs. And love the drab. I am 6 foot and 215 lbs and walk/hike 25-30 miles a week. My feet are in between medium and wide and this shoe allows for that perfectly. Extremely happy with this shoe.