Merrell Fanatic Trail Running Shoes (For Men)

A lot of discussion on closing these shoes. The tie does work, you need to use FORCE. Slightly annoying, but they are so comfortable and ,once you get used to them, easy to tie, that I still give it 5 stars

These shoes are yet another great example of Merrell's exceptional footbed designs, which seem to suit my dogs perfectly. The soles and footbed on the Fanatic provide exceptional support and insane grip. My only gripes relate to the lacing system and the show sizing. The lace is a one-piece elastic job that is held tight by a plastic locking tab. The tab locks very well (too well?), but unlocking it to loosen the laces is diffcult, even for someone with decent grip strength. This said, once you find the right tightness to allow the shoe to be slipped on easily while keeping the shoe secure once on, the issue becomes moot. The sizing issue is a more general one with Merrells of late. I find the sizes to be a moving target. I have several other pairs of Merrells in various styles-- the sizes that offer a comfortable and secure fit range fron 9 to 10.5. That's silly.

The cross (horizontally) ventilated soles catch & hold dirt. Take them off outside to save problems with the houskeeper (wife). Not enough arch support (for me). Otherwise great shoes.

These shoes fit great, and the Vibram sole is very aggressive. Great for day hikes and scrambling. Then, a week after owning them, the sole starting delaminating from the midsole. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT from an otherwise great brand.

I run 5 miles a day in these shoes and then I take them to work where I am a trail guide, hiking about 10 miles a day on top of the running.

They look even better in person. These things have amazing support and comfort.

Great traction and shock absorption, but they feel too big and the lacing system is a hassle. However, the laces stay tight.

On or off road a great shoe. Looks great and feels great.

I bought them for trail running and have used them as such. The soles feel thicker than I am used to and were a little less stable then some others. I just finished a 15k and there were no hot spots debris stayed out during the water crossings.

Full cushion without being squishy. Soak up roots and hard edges. Comfort supreme. 10 weeks ago, I tore every ligament in my ankle while running, and had surgery to repair the injury. I was nervous about coming back but couldn't bear sitting around any longer. These shoes have made the come-back wonderful. I started on my usual trainers, a worthy model of motion control shoes from Saucony. They don't compare. First off, the fit on these (order a full size up from your normal Merrell size) is as if you're not wearing anything, yet the soles of your feet are somehow suspended a centimeter of the ground. And that's with an ankle brace on one leg. Striding along the hard pavement of city sidewalks was the same. And on grass and trails: Heaven.