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10.7 oz.
30mm in heel, 24mm in forefoot (6mm drop)
Long runs on less technical terrain
PEBA/TPEE/EVA midsole, carbon fiber plate, Matryx upper, Vibram Megagrip Elite outsole
Available now for $290
SAM: If I'm honest, my write-up of the Beast of Big Creek event from early August will serve you better as an intro to the Merrell MTL SpeedArc Peak than anything I can throw together here. That event, in part, featured the SpeedArc Peak; and while I spend a bit more time on the yet-to-be-released Agility Sky, I touch briefly on the craft and care that the MTL team pours into these shoes, and that’s what matters here.
The MTL SpeedArc Peak is the product of all that craft and the best current tech at Merrell's disposal. PEBA? Check. TPEE? Yup. Vibram? You betcha. Matryx? Oh yeah. Carbon fiber plate? Wouldn’t be a SpeedArc without it.
This is, after all, a shoe designed in the legacy of Merrell’s eye-catching SpeedArc sportstyle shoe. The plate is the focal point of that shoe, and the SpeedArc Peak must follow by sticking its own plate between those foam FloatPro pods. The result here is a shoe designed to be the absolute (ahem) peak of Merrell’s trail expression.
TAYLOR: Merrell typically works consistently and quietly. They’ve proven their pedigree and performance on the trails. Whether that means hiking or pushing peaks, I’ve enjoyed nearly every shoe they've put out.
The only thing they’ve really lacked in their lineup has been a super shoe. We know that is just an umbrella term for the trails, as it could mean a thousand different things for the possible terrains, conditions, and distances. To simplify things, I mean super shoe in the more traditional sense of having a race day option with a modern super foam and some sort of propulsion tech.
I know firsthand that Merrell has toyed with the idea for years. I was lucky enough to be in a couple of early prototypes that led to the shoe we're talking about today. At the time, they could go head-to-head with any of the race day offerings that were available. I believed in them so much that I even used them for key long runs and race day.
While I hoped the shoe would have come to market much sooner, time and technology have been on an exponential upward curve, and here we are with a shoe that has the same goal as the early iterations, but the challenge of rising with the tide.
The Merrell MTL SpeedArc Peak represents some of the best aspects from across their lineup and adds some never-before-used materials.
SAM: What happens when you throw everything popular in trail shoe tech into a shoe? Well, you get the MTL SpeedArc Peak, and it’s a doozy. It is not, however, a wild shoe like some other plated trail racers we’ve seen.
This is a lot of shoe, and I’ll touch on that briefly in the next section, but it never feels like it’s trying to pull you away from its intended purpose. This is a shoe meant to handle all manner of trail conditions, at speed, with comfort and confidence. And I think it actually pulls it off.
Before we get into the details, I want to touch a bit on how good this shoe looks. Sure, the 45th anniversary colorway we got for our review is a little wild, but it’s still attractive in a gorpcore Mardi Gras kind of way. The other available colorways are straight stunners. The shoe carries that SpeedArc name into performance with aplomb.
That comfortable upper also feels great. I was concerned about the fit at first, because the SpeedArc Peak is built on the same aggressive, slim last as the MTL Skyfire 2. This shoe looks slim, and when you first put it on, it feels slim.
However, thanks to a generous and stretchy elastic vamp that allows the lacing and midfoot to hold your foot securely, it never crunches your toes. I have lots of miles in this shoe on all surfaces, and I never once felt like my toes were pinched. The Matryx on the sides of the shoe is wildly durable and plenty pliable.
I also really appreciate the structure in the tongue. It has raised ridges that, and you’d know this if you read my Beast of Big Creek Recap, are made from encapsulated EVA for protection. This allows you a lot of freedom to secure your laces without sacrificing comfort or risking lace bite.
The real triumph in this shoe comes in the midsole construction. I think Merrell nailed this combination of (from top to bottom) TPEE (in the footbed), PEBA, carbon fiber, and EVA. I think this is one of the few plated trail shoes I’ve run in that feels both fast and like it’s successful on nearly all terrains. The SpeedArc system is soft and stable and gives you some fun pop that doesn’t hint at bucking you off the trail. It’s pretty remarkable, actually.
Underneath all that, we have a spiderweb of Vibram Megagrip Elite with 4mm lugs. This manages to be great on basically all surfaces while saving a bit of weight with the open web design.
TAYLOR: Sam’s right. The Merrell Speedarc Peak is an example of everything modern. As far as design goes, it’s phenomenal from ingredients to standout aesthetics. It’s the embodiment of the Merrell team not playing it safe. They’re having fun here!
This race day option has a build that’s closer to some of the lighter, faster racers out there like the Asics Metafuji Trail 2, Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 4, and Arc’teryx Sylan 2. Keep that in mind throughout this review.
Overall, the fit wasn’t perfect, but it's better than many of Merrell’s previous offerings. I think their Skyfire last was the right move to focus on fit over everything for a performance model. It will feel slimmer through the forefoot and midfoot purposefully. The heel is where it gains a little more space and a lot more cushion than their other models. Performance-wise, it keeps you directly over the midsole.
That’s exactly where you want to be because of the luscious TPEE foam directly underfoot. The Merrell MTL Adapt Matryx was the brand's first shoe with a supercritical foam, and this is a huge step up in that department. My only criticism is that I wanted more of this sensation from the midfoot to the back, honestly!
Merrell's anniversary colorway is a party from the front to the back.
While Sam can speak to his appreciation of the plate and ride, I like the playfulness of the design more than anything. It’s one of the most unique midsole concoctions, and I hope they continue to experiment and iterate with these types of materials. I’ve got more to say about this in the next section, though.
As with the last couple of iterations of the Merrell MTL Agility Peak, the outsole design on the SpeedArc Peak is top in its class. It has both the lighter, performance-oriented Vibram Megagrip Elite that we’ve only experienced on a few other trail shoes, and also the digging power of a late 1940’s miner. Those X-shaped lugs and rubber combo are phenomenal.
As a whole, the package felt fairly lightweight and nimble for a shoe that has this much going on underfoot.
SAM: As much as I think the midsole construction on the MTL SpeedArc Peak is a triumph, this is still a plated shoe. Sure it can handle technical spots, but it’s not exactly pleasant in doing so. Compensating for the plate takes just a little too much effort, and I would end particularly uneven sections feeling overspent.
All the protection from the tongue is wonderful, but it’s very stiff and lands a little high on the ankle. It didn’t specifically bother me, but it did poke at me some, and I can see how it would be a real irritant for people. The word from Merrell is that they might change this up even before the next version.
That stiffness is part and parcel of another small issue: the shoe is overbuilt and ends up being heavier than I’d ideally want a race day shoe. The Matryx is great, but it’s almost hidden by beefy overlays, which I feel negates the need for such an advanced fabric. The aforementioned tongue is a lot, and there’s a lot of what feels like extra shoe all around the upper. I’d expect a race day shoe, especially one with this price tag, to feel light and lean on foot.
TAYLOR: A lot of my critiques for the MTL SpeedArc Peak come down to the fact that I never felt 100% confident in this shoe. I also never felt super efficient or excited, and I can’t confidently point to one or two components to blame. It’s all there! I just can't put it together
After some running and thinking and more running and thinking, I think it comes down to the plate design and midsole profile. The Flexplate itself seems to have the right amount of flex-to-rigidity ratio, which made for a mostly stable ride. At times, the forefoot could feel a little squirrely. It just doesn't seem like the plate shape or the midsole shape complement each other enough to leverage propulsion or noticeable efficiency.
Most of the shoe is built a little too much like Merrell's tried-and-true recipes for more technical terrain (not inherently a bad thing), while the underfoot ride blends tech originally meant for hiking with super foams and a slimmer profile.
Other than that, the only other negative I can point out is that the tongue was rough and never really softened up. Even with taller crew-length socks, it ate up the front part of my ankle! That was the case on shorter and longer runs. It softened up slightly throughout the miles and from me trying to knead it like dough.
Oh, and $290 is a race day price for a shoe that doesn’t give off strong race day vibes.
SAM: The MTL SpeedArc Peak is a very solid plated trail option. Never did I expect to feel confident on technical trails with a plate stuck through the foam under my feet, and the SpeedArc Peak gave me that. That said, it's heavier than I'd like, has a weird tongue, and makes me work harder for that confidence. You win some and lose some, as they say.
If you’re looking for a very comfortable plated shoe for fast trails and you don’t mind a high price tag, this is a stellar option. It has the ability to carry you over a wider variety of surfaces than the smooth trails it’s made for.
It also looks amazing and has some real durability potential. The intention the MTL team puts into their products really shows with this one.
TAYLOR: Listen, I’m a big Merrell fan. They’ve offered some of the best pure trail running shoes over the last 5-7 years.
At the end of the day, I think the Merrell MTL SpeedArc Peak is a decent race day offering for Merrell, but I don’t think it really rivals anything that’s already out there. It is fine but not necessarily fun against the competition.
I appreciated a race day offering that put forth fit as a priority. Those who like a slimmer-profiled shoe may really enjoy this. The midsole foam was fantastic. The outsole design is still top-in-class. For me, it’s one of those shoes that has all the right components, but they didn't quite jive as a package.
Where would it work best? Smooth to moderately technical terrain and a half-day duration max. Call it 50k or less on runnable stuff.
I know Merrell has the right team to iterate and make that happen. So, as excited as I was for this shoe, I’m even more excited to see what comes next (and hopefully sooner rather than later).
You can pick up the Merrell MTL SpeedArc Peak now for $290 at Merrell by using the shop link below.
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Sam lives in Baltimore with his wife and two kids and spends his days fixing espresso machines for Ceremony Coffee Roasters. He runs with the Faster Bastards when he can, races ultras, and has been working on completing the AT section by section. He thinks the best days are made of long miles on nasty trails, but that a good surf session, a really stunning book, or a day of board games are pretty all right too.
All-time favorite shoes: Saucony Xodus Ultra, Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3, Altra Lone Peak
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Taylor Bodin is a trail and ultra runner living in Estes Park, Colo., with his wife and daughters. As the head of the Dirt Division at Believe in the Run, trail running is pretty much the only hobby he can manage right now and loves it. Every so often, he will pop off a race or FKT attempt because competition is pure and the original motivator for him getting into running anyway.
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