I can report back with two thumbs up as once I had my lacing dialed they remained consistent with the tension and did not come undone or shift. This requires me to keep the mid foot a bit looser while locking in my ankle and then leaving the top lace a bit looser for mobility. My foot on impact really flattens out as I step. Oddly my most demanding test of a shoe is how they lace up. A smart move was adding a rigid rock protector section into the sole design to protect the bottom of your foot from sharp rocky terrain while moving fast. When not on the snow the shoes grip the terrain extremely well, the Vibram soles and well thought out design grip like glue. The strengthened body of the shoe, the mid cut and a good set of gaiters combine with my snowshoes and they performed like boots. This allowed me to do some serious snow hikes with my MSR Lightning Ascent snowshoes while wearing them.
The biggest challenge that I put the Ace Mids to was in no small part thanks to them being a hydrid boot style shoe in a mid cut design. This allowed me to get out many times and put the Merrell acronym MQM “Moving Quickly in the Mountains” to the test with the Ace Mids. This spring outdoor season has had some wonderful weather and I’m excited that I found a great deal of time to capitalize on it. This combined with the waterproof features of the shoe moisture is not a huge concern. I was looking forward to this for my spring outings where snow is still an issue on the trail. Of course the big difference is that these shoes are more designed like a boot with a higher mid cut design providing more ankle protection. After that the heel has a beefier stabilization system which they call their Hypercage. The toe box and sides of the shoe have an externalized rubber abrasion protection. The next thing I noticed compared to my MQM flex from the previous year is that they heavily built up the reinforcement of the front of the shoe.
~ marketing description from Merrells official website Inspired by athletes and made for you, this hybrid packs all the technology needed for moving quickly in the mountains into one fast, protective shoe. They look like a boot but with the weight of a runner. At 792 grams for the pair they are exceptionally light with how much design and technical features are built into them. I pulled the shoes out of the box and once again Merrell has created an exceptionally light hiking shoe. My new MQM Ace Mid on the left & my well traveled 600km MQM Flex on the right.That brings us now to the Merrell MQM Ace Mid hiking shoe, a new hybrid version of the MQM Flex with a higher cut mid ankle covering design. The MQM flex trail has been an incredible shoe with plenty of life left in it. Recently for the runs and hikes I did record on Strava it shows that I have put 551km on them. I used the shoe for alpine summits, long overnight hikes, walking my dog and a great deal of trail running. “Would there be a single trail shoe that could handle everything I threw at it?” was the question I asked as I did the review and set out to enjoy my new trail runners.
#Mqm flex full
Since my review last year we have now hit a full year of hard use. If you recall I did a thorough review of my Merrell MQM Flex Trail Shoes last year.
Gear Review : Merrell MQM Ace Mid Hiking ShoeĪs my adoption of lightweight trail, hiking and alpine footwear continues into its third year I continue to explore my footwear needs. The latest offering is the Merrell MQM Ace Mid hiking shoe for even more demanding mountain terrain. In all, they’re so hard-wearing that Merrell bills them as all the best bits of a trail shoe and a hiking boot combined.With the shift and adoption of lightweight trail runners and hiking shoes in the outdoors, Merrell has stepped up to be a leader in the market segment. Plus, unlike many runners they’re fully waterproof – kitted out as they are with Gore-Tex tech. The air cushion in the heel absorbs shock without losing stability. And, although the sole is harder, it is punctuated with dual-directional flex-grooves in the midsole, which are fancy-sounding design tweaks to give you flexibility and agility on uneven ground. The Quantum grip outersole promises ‘mountain-grade traction’, even while moving at speed. Clear that initial hurdle, though, and you’re running free. Which is helpful when it comes to hammering across country paths, of course, but when you’re used to the feather-light uppers and responsive soles of road runners, that lack of comfort can nag in the back of your mind. I admit, swapping to trail shoes takes some getting used to. My saviours have been the Merrell MQM Flex 2. For effective home workouts, uplifting stories, easy recipes and advice you can trust, subscribe to Men’s Health UK today