Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx Review: Looks Are Deceiving… In a Good Way

Introduction to the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx

REESE: Merrell kind of came out of nowhere in 2023 and 2024, didn’t it? And it’s clearly determined not to be a one-hit wonder. Between sponsoring race series, signing athletes, and cranking out some seriously impressive trail shoes, Merrell is making waves in the trail running world. This shoe, though — well, it threw me for a loop. I know we’re not supposed to judge a book (or a shoe) by its cover, but it’s hard not to when a shoe makes this kind of first impression.

Straight out of the box, the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx looked like Balenciaga, Hoka, and Yeezy teamed up for the most unexpected trail shoe collab. Its bold (bulbous?) midsole was the first thing to grab my attention, then came the loud, unapologetic color palette — nearly giving Dynafit a run for its money, though let’s be real, Dynafit still holds the crown for the loudest, most eye-catching colorways. Suffice it to say that this shoe made a statement right from the start.

Believe it or not, it’s risen to the top of my shoe rotation — I’ve even found myself reaching for the Adapt Matryx for most of my runs. There are some things I’d improve, but overall, my thoughts on this shoe are overwhelmingly positive.

TAYLOR: I’ve considered starting a Merrell review without mentioning how the original Skyfire and Long Sky wowing us, but today is not the day! I think it will serve its purpose again because now we are in 2025, five years removed, and Merrell has continued its steady climb toward being a household trail running brand — as it deserves to be.

We can’t consider Merrell a newbie anymore, even though its most popular releases are also its most recent with the MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx, Agility Peak 5 (also released in a BOA/Gore-Tex model), Morphlite, and the MTL Skyfire 2. There’s something for everyone here!

The only category they have been missing is max cushion, but that’s changing with the new MTL Adapt Matryx. Even though the appearance is a bit bonkers, Merrell still stuck to what it knew. It packs a mix of solid ingredients like a Matryx upper, Vibram Megagrip outsole, and a huge stack of FloatPro foam because each of its premium trail shoes basically has a variation of these components.

And yet, ingredients are only part of the performance story for Merrell. As much as I’ve loved the simplistic inspiration in a lot of its models, the MTL Adapt Matryx has a little more going on. Embedded within that sky-high and mile-wide midsole is a set of unique flex grooves that give this shoe its name. Though this isn’t an entirely new idea, it is done in a more tailored fashion than we typically see. This creates a “podular” midsole that can, ideally, adapt to various terrains — something that’s long troubled high-stacked trail harriers.

What we like about the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx

REESE: Honestly, there’s a lot to like about the Adapt Matryx. This shoe isn’t just bold in looks — it brings some serious performance to the trail. One of the first things I noticed after lacing it up was how incredibly lightweight the shoe felt, especially for a max-cushioned trail runner. It’s a rare combination to find a shoe that offers this much plush comfort without feeling bulky or heavy underfoot, but I think Merrell keeps the shoe light by sourcing some great materials.

Underfoot, the FloatPro Foam midsole delivers lightweight comfort that lasts mile after mile, while FlexConnect dual-directional flex grooves enhance ground connection and adaptability. While Merrell doesn’t call out this shoe for having a full-blown rocker, the shape of the midsole did allow a smooth and natural gait with the slightest bit of propulsion. This combination creates a smooth and responsive ride, letting you feel connected to the trail without sacrificing the cushioning your legs will thank you for.

One thing that really stood out was how the MTL Adapt Matryx handled on descents. It’s tough not to heel strike when you’re flying downhill, and after my last race, I’ve been dealing with some nagging heel pain. Thankfully, this shoe seemed to offer a solution. The cushioning is designed in a way that gives a slight release under the heel, softening the impact and making those pounding descents much more manageable. It’s not as pronounced as the aggressive SkyVault tech in the road-ready Brooks Hyperion Max, but it also offers more cushioning than the subtle indent in The North Face Altamesa 500’s Dream foam. It strikes a perfect balance, providing just enough give to keep your heels happy without losing that connected trail feel.

The shoe fits true to size, and I found that the 4 mm lug depth is perfect for just about all the trails here in Fort Collins. The Vibram Megagrip might be a bit of a misnomer, but it performed well 95% of the time, so it’s hard to complain about that. Merrell doesn’t state if this shoe is neutral or if it has some corrective/stability properties, but I noticed that it definitely aided in some pronation control, especially noticeable in the midfoot/arch area.

TAYLOR: I’m typically a top down deconstructionist, but I can’t help but to go straight for the meat on this one. What’s up with that hunk of foam? A whole lot. It’s not going to be what you expect, but if you give this version of FloatPro a few runs, it’ll start to make a lot of sense.

Upon step-in, the overall feel was firmer than I expected. That’s not a terrible thing. The Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx has a lot of foam to have a medium/firm durometer. It was certainly subject to being a resident member of Brick City, but that’s why we run the miles. Once I started trotting, a whole different sensation was revealed.

It’s not that the dual-density foam broke in a ton, though it did soften slightly over time to reach a medium sensation. Instead, the deep FlexConnect grooves and tapered forefoot took over to create one smooth ride — so much so that the ride gave an all-around lighter feel to the built-up package. It was simply a fun shoe to be on the move in.

The Adapt Matryx’s stability is a strong point, too — probably the most stable of the group. Because of the massively wide platform, like the Hoka Stinson 7, and the overall density of the midsole, the MTL Adapt Matryx was very rover-like. It rolled over anything in its path. And by roll, I mean steamroll. It absorbed or morphed around everything in its path. There’s no ground feel to speak of. It was as protective as a mama elk just a few weeks after giving birth. If that doesn’t land, just know that the amount of safeguarding is borderline unnecessary but serves its purpose dutifully.

Another element of protection was certainly the burly outsole. I’d say 4 mm lugs have never hurt the protective cause, even if the outsole isn’t completely rubberized like this one.

The Vibram and Merrell relationship has created some of the best outsoles in the game. We know the effects of simply having MegaGrip at the helm: Grade-A grip and durability. When it’s thoughtfully designed for each shoe, like the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx, it takes grip and confidence to a whole new level. I was able to take this shoe on a wider variety of terrain than I typically do, including some nasty late-fall mud and soft ground in the Midwest and everything the mountain can throw at me in Colorado. I was impressed with the gripping power of these particular lugs and never once felt like I was lacking in the grip department.

Up top, the Matyx upper adds protection and comfort. Matryx has become synonymous with technical fit and durability. Overall, the fit is roomier, which I appreciated. It reminded me of the Agility Peak 5 or the Topo Athletic MTN Racer 3.

Finding a more secure fit was a little bit of a challenge, but it was possible because of the technical Matryx upper. I found that I was able to cinch down the upper around the heel with some runner’s loop and the midfoot by pulling fairly tight on the laces. This allowed for a fit that could roll with a lot of trail demands. There is a little bit of a bathtub construction underfoot that assists here, too.

When it comes down to it, the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx is one of those shoes that can do a lot. I can see it being as well-liked as any of the top dogs in this category, like the Brooks Caldera 8, the Speedland GS series, or the Hoka Stinson 7. Honestly, I think it has a smoother ride, more stability, and comparable security to any of the other high-stacked models mentioned.

It also reigns supreme in the durability department. This is, in part, because of the chosen ingredients. Also, the midsole changed very little throughout the many miles I put on the shoe. Corree Wolterig showed us a pair at TRE that had over 800 miles on it, and the midsole still looked dang good. I’m always skeptical of those stories, but I can totally see that being the norm with the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx. The value is outstanding for this shoe.

What we don’t like about the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx

REESE: I’m impressed with so many things about this shoe, and Merrell is so close to making this shoe really, really great, but there are a few things that bugged me.

The heel. Lock. Down. Or lack thereof. I managed to snug up the laces on my midfoot and maybe even tied them too tight to overcompensate for my heel rising up on uphills and feeling loose on the descents, but nothing I did seemed to lock in my heel. While I didn’t get any blisters, and it wasn’t the worst case I’ve ever seen, I do wish the heel were more narrow. However, this might be a good thing if you hate narrow heel cups. To each their own.

The tongue and lacing system were a bit of a letdown, too, especially given the thoughtful design evident in the rest of the shoe. The laces were surprisingly short — I couldn’t even reach the very top lace hole, which might have helped address the heel issue, but I guess we’ll never know. The lacing system itself felt clunky, which was unexpected in a shoe where so much attention was paid to weight-saving details.

As for the tongue, it felt oddly… short. I kept wanting to pull it up to smooth out the wrinkles around the front of the shoe, but that’s just how it’s designed. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it did leave me wishing for a bit more polish in this area to match the rest of the shoe’s well-executed features.

TAYLOR: If you’ve been around over the last five year years as Merrell has grown in the trail running space, you’ll know that there have been, and continue to be, some fit issues that plague it, and it’s often because of the heel construction. The MTL Adapt Matryx wrote a similar script. The heel simply needs to be dealt with differently. There’s too much room on all axes to get a secure fit unless you use a runner’s loop and pull the laces to their limit. It’s certainly not ideal.

Objectively and obviously, this category of shoe comes with extra weight. I wouldn’t say this is an outright negative, but it’s worth noting if you don’t typically run in a max cushion shoe or even if you come from the road running side of things, where max stack shoes can still be relatively light.

The MTL Adapt Matryx is not crazy heavy. It weighs pretty much the same as all of the other heavy hitters in this category. Here’s the rundown: Merrell MTL Adapt sits at 11.7 oz (for my US M11), The North Face Altamesa 500 is 11.7 oz., New Balance Hierro v9 gets a little lighter at 11.5 oz, Brooks Caldera 8 weights the same at 11.5 oz., Speedland’s GS:PDX is heavier at 11.9 oz., and the Nike Zegama 2 is 11.6 oz.

Final thoughts on the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx

REESE: Overall, I’m stoked about the Adapt Matryx. It feels like the perfect blend of a stable daily trainer and a long-distance race shoe. Despite its bold looks, it’s anything but clunky. In fact, it strikes a great balance, taking the best features of the Altamesa 500 and Brooks Caldera 7, like their stability and max cushioning, while leaving behind the drawbacks, the clunkiness, and lack of responsiveness — looking at you, Brooks, on the latter. The gripes I have with the design are definitely not deal-breakers. They’re just mild annoyances that hopefully Merrell will address if (when?) version two comes out.

It’s a shoe that feels versatile, comfortable, and ready for anything, whether it’s a casual trail day or toeing the line at the next race.

TAYLOR: With the addition of the MTL Adapt Matryx, Merrell is one step closer to having a phenomenal quiver of shoes for any trail run. This max stack option has all the elements I would be looking for in a shoe in this division, like protection, long-haul cushion, durability, stability, and runnability.

I personally love that the overall package is very familiar if you’ve been a Merrell fan for a while now. At the same time, it’s different from the masses.

If you’re looking for a smooth ride with ample protection over any distance or surface, the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx is certainly worth looking into.

You can pick up the Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx for $180 in May 2025 from Merrell by using the button below.