ActiveMerrell MTL Skyfire 2 review: uber-light, grippy trail racerDelivering solid traction in a featherlight package, the Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a trail shoe that is built for pushing the paceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matthew Jones)T3 VerdictThe Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a new and innovative concept for the US brand: a super light trail running shoe aimed at experienced off-road racers looking for technically advanced, low-profile footwear to help them beat the averages. It’s the ideal shoe if you’re competing at an elite level or chasing PBs and FKTs.Reasons to buy+Very lightweight+Reliable grip+Cool and breathableReasons to avoid-Not the most protective-Not the most durable, eitherWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveMerrell MTL Skyfire 2 review: uber-light, grippy trail racerDelivering solid traction in a featherlight package, the Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a trail shoe that is built for pushing the paceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matthew Jones)T3 VerdictThe Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a new and innovative concept for the US brand: a super light trail running shoe aimed at experienced off-road racers looking for technically advanced, low-profile footwear to help them beat the averages. It’s the ideal shoe if you’re competing at an elite level or chasing PBs and FKTs.Reasons to buy+Very lightweight+Reliable grip+Cool and breathableReasons to avoid-Not the most protective-Not the most durable, eitherWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Delivering solid traction in a featherlight package, the Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a trail shoe that is built for pushing the pace
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)T3 VerdictThe Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a new and innovative concept for the US brand: a super light trail running shoe aimed at experienced off-road racers looking for technically advanced, low-profile footwear to help them beat the averages. It’s the ideal shoe if you’re competing at an elite level or chasing PBs and FKTs.Reasons to buy+Very lightweight+Reliable grip+Cool and breathableReasons to avoid-Not the most protective-Not the most durable, either
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
T3 VerdictThe Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a new and innovative concept for the US brand: a super light trail running shoe aimed at experienced off-road racers looking for technically advanced, low-profile footwear to help them beat the averages. It’s the ideal shoe if you’re competing at an elite level or chasing PBs and FKTs.Reasons to buy+Very lightweight+Reliable grip+Cool and breathableReasons to avoid-Not the most protective-Not the most durable, either
T3 VerdictThe Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a new and innovative concept for the US brand: a super light trail running shoe aimed at experienced off-road racers looking for technically advanced, low-profile footwear to help them beat the averages. It’s the ideal shoe if you’re competing at an elite level or chasing PBs and FKTs.
T3 Verdict
The Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 is a new and innovative concept for the US brand: a super light trail running shoe aimed at experienced off-road racers looking for technically advanced, low-profile footwear to help them beat the averages. It’s the ideal shoe if you’re competing at an elite level or chasing PBs and FKTs.
Reasons to buy+Very lightweight+Reliable grip+Cool and breathableReasons to avoid-Not the most protective-Not the most durable, either
Reasons to buy+Very lightweight+Reliable grip+Cool and breathable
Very lightweight
Reliable grip
Cool and breathable
Reasons to avoid-Not the most protective-Not the most durable, either
Not the most protective
Not the most durable, either
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 Trail Running Shoes deals
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In this Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 review, we’ll look at one of the flagship releases for 2023 from the renowned US outdoor brand, reviewing this technical trail running shoe’s design, features, performance and comfort.
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 review: price and release date
First released in SS23, the Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 comes in men’s and women’s fits, both priced at £170/ $200. The original colourway was a striking blaze orange and white, with a new orange/electric blue scheme plus a black, green and khaki 1TRL edition released for AW23.
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 review: specifications
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 review: design and features
The first thing you notice when you pick up the MTL Skyfire 2 is its weight – or lack of. This is a shoe for dedicated gram-counters. It is impressively light, with every element of the uppers, midsole and outsole engineered to keep the overall weight to an absolute minimum. As a result, it tips the scales at just 198g per shoe in a men’s UK 8. That makes this one of the lightest trail running shoes on the market.
In many ways, they look and feel a lot like a pair of track spikes. They’re fairly close-fitting, with superlight mesh uppers that hug the foot and a narrower toebox than is typical for most running shoes. The outsole is a Vibram Megagrip compound, and the tread pattern is a latticework of aggressive, chevron-shaped 5mm lugs interspersed with weight-saving cutaways. A raised heel counter cups the rear of the foot snugly, while a contoured, cutaway cuff ensures good freedom of movement and plenty of ankle flex, with no pressure on the talus or Achilles.
Those uppers are cool and breathable, offering fantastic ventilation for the feet. They also drain well and dry quickly. This isn’t a waterproof shoe, so you will get wet feet in damp conditions, but the flip side is that these shoes will not get sodden or waterlogged. TPU overlays offer a little upper reinforcement, but overall foot protection is fairly minimal.
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
The shoe’s overall drop is 6mm, with a 25mm heel stack, so despite the lightweight construction, this is no minimalist, barefoot-style shoe. It offers a good balance of cushioning and responsiveness underfoot without feeling too spartan.
A recycled mesh footbed adds a little more comfort, and it’s also treated with Merrell’s NXT anti-bacterial lining, which should help to prevent odour build-up. Laces are made from recycled materials, with an unusual elastic tab lace keeper to prevent them from getting tangled or coming undone mid-stride. It’s a nice touch.
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 review: performance and comfort
This is a fast-feeling shoe, thanks in large part to its lightweight build. We put them through their paces in the hills and mountains of Snowdonia, North Wales – taking on several trails in the renowned Coed y Brenin forest park, where dedicated running routes snake amongst downhill mountain bike tracks.
When climbing, the featherlight feel of these shoes certainly means they feel less leg-sapping compared to clunkier trail shoes. And on the more technical sections, consisting of steep switchback descents and narrow wooded paths threaded with tree roots, they performed well, delivering secure traction and plenty of precision, thanks to their neat toebox and low-profile design.
This is a shoe that demands concentration when it comes to foot placement though – the lack of all-round protection means that you do need to be careful with your landings. And though the rock plate absorbs some impacts underfoot, they’re less well suited to particularly broken, rocky and uneven ground. Still, that makes for very focused running, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
They also proved very comfortable in runs of up to half-marathon distances. But given that the Skyfire 2 is built for performance and speed over outright durability, this is really a shoe that we’d recommend saving for race days and other trail runs where you’re really aiming to push the pace. In that sense, it’s not really a ‘quiver of one’ shoe – you’ll probably want to team it with a more forgiving shoe for everyday use or relaxed training runs.
Think of it as a thoroughbred racer rather than an all-round workhorse. That way, you’ll extract maximum value from them when it counts rather than burning through them too quickly. Because ultimately, the lattice outsole means there’s a lot of exposed foam underfoot, while the mesh uppers will inevitably wear through quicker than burlier shoes. If we were looking for weaknesses, it would be in this area, as we would question the Skyfire 2’s outright durability if subjected to too much punishment. Then again, that is the almost inevitable price you pay for such low weight.
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
(Image credit: Matthew Jones)
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 review: verdict
There’s no denying that this is something of a specialist shoe. But as a superlight trail running shoe for race days, Merrell’s MTL Skyfire 2 is one of the best options. In that sense, it excels in its design specification – it’s unbelievably light on the feet, comfortable yet responsive over distances of up to a half-marathon, and out-grips most of its similarly lightweight rivals. On the other hand, as an all-around trail running shoe, it wouldn’t be our first choice unless low weight is your ultimate priority. Our advice? Save it for the days you really want to push the pace or beat the competition.
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 review: Alternatives to consider
If you’re after a similarly superlight trail running shoe, then the Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 competes squarely with rivals like the Salomon S/Lab Pulsar 2, the Arc’teryx Norvan SL 3, the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra and fell-running favourite, the Inov-8 X-Talon G 210.
All use similar ultralight uppers and come in at less than 250g per shoe. However, we reckon the Skyfire 2 outgrips its Salomon, Arc’teryx and Adidas Terrex rivals on most terrain, though probably comes second to the mega 8mm lugs of the Inov-8 X-Talon. On the other hand, that’s a dedicated fell-racing shoe that works best on soft and sloppy ground, so it lacks the cross-terrain versatility of the Skyfire 2.
If you want similar characteristics but can sacrifice a little extra weight for the sake of added cushioning, then popular alternatives include the Hoka Zinal 2 as well as the Mafate Speed 4. Both are excellent trail running/racing shoes that promise slightly superior long-term durability and will also feel more forgiving underfoot over longer distances.
Merrell MTL Skyfire 2 Trail Running Shoes: Price Comparison
$199.99View$199.99View$199.99View$219.96ViewNo price informationCheck Amazon
$199.99View
$199.99View
$199.99View
$199.99
$199.99
$199.99View
$199.99View
$199.99View
$199.99
$199.99
$199.99View
$199.99View
$199.99View
$199.99
$199.99
$219.96View
$219.96View
$219.96View
$219.96
$219.96
No price informationCheck Amazon
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