I tested these high-tech Merrell hikers and was taken aback by their biggest strength

American footwear brand Merrell is known for producing very high-performing hiking boots and walking shoes (such as the Moab, a perennial favourite, seen on feet and trails all over the planet) and top-notch trail-running shoes, including the Skyfire, a pair of which did me proud during my biggest and toughest outing last year, the Lakeland 50 Ultra.

As fantastically functional and reliable as these shoes are, however, they’re pretty ordinary looking, with no especially funky features. This is one reason why the recent launch of the SpeedArc Surge Boa walking shoes made everyone sit up and gawp. Merrell is genuinely not prone to gimmicky garnishing on their footwear, but with these shoes, the brand appears to have torn the traditional stylebook up and lobbed the pages right out of the window.

Love it or hate it, this is a big statement shoe, where the designers have been given free reign to cut loose and let their imagination fly. The results, to be quite honest, are mixed. I’d read the releases and knew roughly what to expect, but as a long-time Merrell footwear fan, I was still bit shocked when I unboxed these shoes.

I’ve been testing the white version of the SpeedArc Surge Boa, which comes with gold flourishes, a combination that makes them look extra futuristic (and, to be frank, entirely impractical in the wet and muddy present – especially when they’re lacking a waterproof membrane – but more about all of that later). Aesthetics aside, this premium-priced shoe makes some big promises about making bouncing along the trails a complete breeze, but can it live up to them?

Merrell SpeedArc Surge Boa review

Price and availability

Available now for men and women, in two colours and a broad range of sizes, the Merrell SpeedArc Surge Boa hiking shoe has a recommended retail price of £240 in the UK, €280 across the EU and $290 in the United States. At the time of writing this shoe is not yet available in Australia.

Specifications

• Gender availability: Men’s and Women’s versions available
• Weight per shoe (size UK 10.5): 425g
• Colours: Raven / White
• Upper: Matryx (high-tenacity polyamide with Kevlar threads)
• Membrane: None
• Midsole: FloatPro+ supercritical foam, with a nylon FlexPlate
• Sole: Quantum Grip (durable rubber)
• Lug size: 4mm
• Stack: 38–30mm
• Drop: 8mm
• Sizes (UK): Men’s: 6.5–14 / Women’s: 2.5–8.5
• Best for: Hiking over technical terrain, long-distance walks (in dry conditions)

Design and materials

This is an innovative and tech-heavy shoe from top to bottom. Aside from the massive midsole, which I’ll come to shortly, the most immediately eye-catching design element on the SpeedArc Surge shoes is the double dials that form the basis of the Boa lace system. As you turn these clockwise they pull an overarching, three-wing protective layer tight across the top of your foot, enabling you to secure a very precise and secure fit. To loosen them off, you simply pop the dials out, and the tension is released on the laces.

Beneath this skeleton layer, the main chassis of the shoe is comprised of a full-foot Matryx sock made from a synthetic mesh featuring multi-filament threads of Kevlar (a material commonly associated with tyres for bikes and bulletproof vests) and high-tenacity polyamide, resulting in a material that’s very tough and resistant to abrasion but is also soft and breathable.

However, this isn’t backed by a waterproof membrane. There is no tongue – instead, an elasticated knitted panel is stitched to the Matryx shell, and this stretches over the top of your foot. The shoe has a generous amount of padding around the heel and collar, buffering the ankle area somewhat. The design includes a small toecap and there is a rand to protect the side of your feet from sharp sticks and stones.

The most attention-grabbing part of the SpeedArc Surge’s design is the double-decker, cloud-like midsole. Inspired by the sumptuously soft suspension found on off-road vehicles, this midsole features not one but two layers of FloatPro+ supercritical foam, crammed full of active-response coils, with a nylon ‘FlexPlate’ visibly sandwiched in the middle.

The result, according to Merrell’s design team, is a product that supplies twice the energy return of a standard hiking shoe or boot, vastly reducing effort expense when you’re walking. The nylon shank allows torsional movement but also supplies a heightened degree of rigidity along the length of the shoe, which reduces the risk of foot fatigue. The cushioning is distributed generously along the sole, which has a gentle rocker shape, and the overall heel-to-toe drop is 8mm.

Finally, beneath all this is an outsole with Quantum Grip tread made with durable rubber, featuring 4mm lugs. These studs are not very aggressive, but the shapes (a mixture of forward-facing and reverse chevrons, plus saucers) and overall pattern are well-considered.

Performance

The Merrell SpeedArc Surge Boas only come in two colours: Raven (mostly black) and White (mostly a terrible colour for any gear intended for the outdoors, but especially shoes). Guess which version I got to test…

The first time I wore these out of the house, within two minutes of leaving the tarmac, a complete stranger felt compelled to comment that he couldn’t believe I was wearing such blindingly white shoes on the muddy trail we were sharing. We got talking, and he was intrigued by the design (colourway aside), so I guess if Merrell want these shoes to be head turners and conversation starters, then it’s mission accomplished.

Once I got over the appearance of shoes (or rather, once they’d lost a good deal of their bright white bling, which was very quickly) I could get on with the business of testing their performance. I’ll start with the fit, which is absolutely excellent. The dual Boa lace system secured the SpeedArc Surges more firmly on my feet than any pair of hiking shoes I’ve ever worn before.

Does the design really need to have three wings and two dials? I’m not completely convinced it does (and it’s not the lightest shoe, so this would shave a few grams), but there’s no arguing with the confidence such a perfectly tuned connection instils in you when tackling technical trails.

Also, because my foot doesn’t move around so much as a milometer when I’ve got them dialled in, there’s zero risk of me getting a blister.

The Matryx sock chassis fully encases your foot, so there is no need for a gusseted tongue on these shoes, and this design is excellent at keeping grit, sand, small stones and other irritants from getting into the shoe. This sock is also extremely tough and hardwearing (being reinforced with Kevlar) while remaining extremely comfortable and breathable.

However, and this is a big however, I am very surprised that such a premium-priced, high-design hiking shoe isn’t available in a version with a waterproof membrane. I’m quite happy for my running shoes to let moisture in (in fact, I prefer trail running shoes not to be waterproof), but when it comes to hiking footwear, which I’m far more likely to be wearing for many hours in potentially chilly and challenging conditions, I do expect them to keep my walking socks dry. Maybe they have been designed for use in the more arid areas of the United States, but for British hill walkers and trail trekkers, this is a major flaw in the Merrell SpeedArc Surge Boas.

And that’s a shame, because I found that the midsole does deliver much of what the hype around the shoe promised. It supplies a huge amount of cushioning, making longer adventures much more comfortable, and when this is combined with the nylon FlexPlate you really do get a tangible sense of energy return and propulsion along the trail. The look of this midsole is not going to please everyone (you’re either going to love it or hate it), but it certainly works.

And finally, I found the tread on the Quantum Grip outsole to be pretty decent on most terrain, providing traction and grip during ascents and braking control on the way back down, but this is not a shoe for wearing in slippery and muddy conditions (in case the colourway left you on any doubt).

Verdict

There are some genuinely innovative – even ingenious – features on this shoe. The Boa lacing system provides the kind of secure fit and holds you’d only usually expect from a high-end ski boot, the Floatpro midsole seriously cushions footfall and the FlexPlate provides excellent energy return for each step.

The SpeedArc Surge is also a comfortable, tough, well-made piece of footwear that enables your feet to breathe. And yet, it feels over-engineered for the vast majority of walkers, and as a consequence, it’s priced well north of most people’s budgets and has a look that will probably put off as many folk as it’s going to attract.

Plus, it doesn’t supply any waterproof protection, which will not suit year-round ramblers, and the colour scheme (especially the white version with gold detailing) feels like a really odd choice.

I’m really not sure who this shoe is aimed at. Style-wise, it seems angled towards a younger Gorpcore crowd, but many of the shoes’ best features, including that remarkable midsole, will work well for older amblers with dodgy knees.

In some senses, it’s suited to long-distance hikers – with a confidence-inspiring fit, overall comfort and superlative cushioning and bounce – but unless you’re hiking somewhere reliably warm and dry, the lack of a waterproof membrane is a real drawback.

Also consider

For a far more traditional-looking but very functional hiking shoe that is much lighter on both your wallet and the environment, the Berghaus Revolute Active – made with entirely recycled materials – is an excellent choice (and it’s waterproof). I’d also suggest checking out the impressively lightweight Columbia Facet 75 walking shoes, perfect for speed hiking and fastpacking. Alternatively, the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 is a supportive and hardy hiking shoe for tackling tough trails, and the Arc'teryx Aerios FLs offer a bit more ankle support than you’d usually find in a walking shoe.