Merrell Edge - First Look

Merrell Edge - First Look

Price: £60.00

Weight: 904 grammes (pair size 43)

Features: Sticky soled approach shoe with board-lasted construction, 1.8mm Perwanger Italian leather upper, polyester mesh lining, Nubuck/polyester bellows tongue, protective Benecke backstrap, protective heel counter and toe rand, 4.5mm anatomical footbed, spring steel 3/4 shank, dual density EVA mid-sole, 4mm sole Lug depth, Vibram Approach sole with Super Trek and TC4 leather. Available in men's and women's versions.

Sturdy and techy. EVA deforms on small edges.

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What's It For? The Edge is an approach shoe designed for scrambling, via ferratas and, well, approaching climbs on semi-technical ground. In reality it will also get a lot of use as a cross-over all-round trainer.

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The Techy Bits There's a fair bit of technology in the Edge. It may look like a jazzed up trainer in Nubuck but the last is a technical, climbing one, the shoe has a 3/4 length steel shank to keep it rigid and the Vibram sole incorporates a smooth, sticky forefoot area for secure adhesion when things get rocky.

You're also getting a full-on leather upper, protective toe bumper and external heel counter and a cushioned EVA mid-sole.

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How It Works A lot of approach and scrambling shoes are destined to be worn mostly down the pub and for bimbling around, but it's reassuring to know that like similar shoes from TNF, Berghaus and others, the Edge does have genuine technical capabilities though it's a tad schizoid.

The fit is slim and precise though not uncomfortable and while walking, the cushioned EVA mid-sole means it feels like a sturdy trainer with decent impact absorption underfoot. Lots of flex in the forefoot too.

Once on more scrambly ground, the sticky, smooth area under the big toe/forefoot grips well enough on larger holds and gives a lot more confidence than normal rubber. What the shoe won't do is edge consistently on smaller edge holds, even at the toes, the EVA cushiong tends to deform under your weight and the edge folds slightly. That's not a unique issue with Merrell, other similar shoes are the same, but it does mean the shoe's at its best on easier scrambles where you can climb mainly on the sticky forefoot and smear for grip.

The close-spaced lugs on the rest of the sole mean that grip's best on hard, dry terrain, so stay away from the mud. Thankfully there's no sweaty waterproof liner either.

It's too early to comment on durability, but one thing that didn't last long were the original bright red laces. Way too frightening, they were ditched in favour of a more discreet grey option...

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Initial Verdict

Comfortable for wandering around in generally and quite at home on easy scrambles and routes which don't involve small edges, the Edge is a neat, wearable, sturdy-feeling approach shoe with good cushioning.

It won't really handle small edges, but then again it's not supposed to - EVA and edging don't really mix, even though some manufacturers have tried denser versions to improve things. Then again without the EVA it wouldn't be half as comfy underfoot.

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Merrell web site

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