Merrell Men's Mix Master 2 Minimalist Running Shoe

This is my second pair of Mix Master 2s and I am quite glad I have stayed the course.Great shoe. I wear a size 9 in everything foot-related, and the 9 fits perfectly. The tread is great for trail running, but it isn't outrageous to run on pavement/paved bike paths either. I wanted something I could comfortably run from my house to trails and back in, and these are true to their name: "mix master." They aren't really a minimalist shoe, at least by my standards (and I'm not snobby about minimalist stuff), so if you're worried about not having enough padding or whatever, unless you're REALLY sensitive in the foot, you'll probably be okay. Note that there is not much arch support, if that's something you're worried about.The onyl problem I've had is the side of the shoe by where my pinky toe meets my foot starts to wear out after a while. But to be fair, on my first pair, that is only really noticeable now after I've put some 700 rough miles on them, so I think that's fair. Other than that damage (which I think I'd expect out of any shoe after that much punishment), they've held up great!The reinforced rubber toe box has protected my little piggies from many run-ins with rocks and roots. I've never shattered toe nails in these puppies, knock on wood.You might notice at first that tiny rocks/gravel get stuck in the circular tread on the bottom, and clack when you walk on pavement. I noticed that with both of my pairs, and it goes away after a while, once you start really breaking that tread in.

I picked these up this past winter due to the horrific weather the North East had. I was training for my first Half Marathon and was running 6 days a week even in the snow and ice. These did a great job traction wise in the snow and so-so on the ice (only fell once) but nothing short of an ice skate would of saved me. They are fairly light and breath really well when you get them wet. The major issue I had with them was they didn't do a decent job of protecting the soles of your feet from sharp rocks when on trails. Actually they pretty much fail miserably in that department. So bad, that I broke my foot TWICE when running in them. Both times I didn't know it was broke, until after I completed my Half Marathon (in extreme pain) and finally went to the Otho and had a catscan. I thought it was tendinitis and took 3 weeks off running and it only heals 50% but the pain goes away, so I continued to train, causing it to never completely heal until I broke it again the week before the Half. I debated right up until the start of whether or not to run, but never a quitter and not being too bright, I ran the half in these shoes.Since everyone is different, whether it be running style, weight, or shape of your foot, I can't say these are horrible shoes. I still use them, just not for trail running, or street for that matter. They worked well on the mountain during the Spartan Beast in the mud, but I wasn't running the race, just went up and down the mountain a few times videoing and showing support for a friend.

***I am only an amateur 5k runner*** I have to say, for just the 4 or 5 odd runs I have taken with these shoes they have preformed beautifully. I have heard great things about Merrell running shoes in regards to their durability and comfort so I am hoping that rings true for the ones I ordered; all signs point to a good life of the shoes. I have had shoes that cut into my ankle and these do not. I have had problems with my toes slightly going numb from constricting of spots in other shoes as well, these shoes are roomy in the front and so far I have had no problem. They look and feel good. Incredibly light. I can't complain at all with any aspect of these shoes. The only reason I am only giving them 4/5 stars is because I think 5/5 always looks way over zealous and frankly I haven't owned them long enough.I would mention that these shoes are geared more towards the barefoot running style. I say that because the heel padding isn't insanely stacked like some shoes on he market, so I wouldn't run with a heavy heel-to-toe stride. I purchased these because I am transitioning to barefoot style of running and they offer the padding I need at this point, they are lightweight, and the traction allows me to run on and off roads.

Do you ever get a pair of shoes that you like so much that you think you should just go ahead and get another pair for when the first pair eventually wears out? Do you ever think, "Gee, it really doesn't get any better than this shoe, here?" I've owned this shoe for almost a year now, and I'm thinking I'm going to do just that. I think I did get these to run in, but I liked them so much, they just became my every day shoe. They are extremely light weight, and the most comfortable thing next to wearing nothing. I was concerned that my toe would wear through the mesh, as that's happened to me with other shoes, but that hasn't happened at all with this shoe. They are actually showing no signs of wear yet. So, I might just get them in a slightly different color or something instead of the EXACT same pair. They're going to be great to wear during the summer, but I sure wore them a lot during the winter, too. They're so airy, that I would have thought my feet would get cold, but that really didn't happen. I'd highly recommend these. In fact, I'll be ordering more myself.

Merrell best

They are light weight, comfy, not over padded and keep your feet cool. But don't expect they to keep your feet dry cause they won't. On the plus side they dry real quick.

One of the better running shoes. Much better than Nike/Adidas

It's awesome. .. good shoes.......

best most steady and comfortable ones iv ever had i mean really comfortable indeed really light u forget u have them on lol