Merrell Nova 4 Trail Runners are lightweight trail runners with flared outsoles for added stability when hiking or backpacking. They have breathable mesh uppers that drain moisture quickly and good front protection on rocky trails with multi-directional rubber lugs that provide excellent grip and braking on wet surfaces. They have a slightly rockered (curved) forefoot and thick midsole foam for increased shock absorption. The Nova 4 ($130) is quite affordable if you’re looking for a general-purpose hiking shoe or trail runner for hiking on moderate trails.
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- Gender: Men’s
- Wide Toebox Available: Yes
- Cushion: Medium-Maximum
- Waterproof: No
- Stack height: 29-21 mm
- Drop: 8 mm
- Lugs: 4mm
- Sole: Merrell Quantum Rubber
- Waterproof: No
- Weight: 19.4 oz/pair
- Fit: True to size
Uppers
The Nova 4 has highly breathable mesh uppers that help keep your feet cool and dry. If you hold the shoes up to the light, the mesh is quite porous and see-thru. While this makes them fast to dry when they get wet, I wouldn’t recommend wearing the Nova 4 in a dusty environment because it will sand and grit can enter the mesh pores and eat your socks. The mesh uppers drain and dry quite quickly, but I’d think twice about wearing the Nova 4 in more technical terrain where your feet come in contact with a lot of rocks because the mesh will quickly abrade.
Toebox
The Merrell Nova 4 has a wide toe box that lets your toes splay out and relax. The front of the toe box has a wide toe kick to protect your toe and toenails, while reinforced bumpers help reduce the abrasion that rips up the side of many mesh trail runners and hiking shoes. I found the length of the shoes to be true to size, giving me plenty of space in front of my toes.
Drop
The Nova 4 has an 8 mm heel-to-toe drop, which is similar to many street shoes and reduces the acclimatization time it usually takes for people to adapt to a trail runner. That means you can use these shoes for hiking out to the box without stretching and retraining your Achilles tendon or calf muscles, a process that can take a month or more.
Midsole
The Nova 4 has soft rebounding foam that puts some spring into your step and cushions your footfalls. Unlike the previous version, the Merrell Nova 3, the Nova 4 does not have a rock plate. Rock plates are a piece of plastic or carbon fiber designed to protect the underside of your foot from sharp impacts on stone. While you can certainly hike on rocky trails with the Nova 4, the loss of a rock plate in this model makes them better for walking than running and on moderate terrain instead of extremely rocky trails.
The cushion on the Nova 4 midsole is very comfortable, however, and I’d rate it between medium and maximum. It has a good rebound when walking and maintains a good trail feel, but not one that completely masks the surface.
The midsole and Nova 4 also have a slight curve in the forefoot, called rocker, which helps reduce the effort required to walk quickly forward. This is beneficial when you want to set a fast pace. Rockered soles are also good for people with less ankle or mid-foot flexibility because they offset the strain on joints.
Outsole
The outsole of the Nova 4 shoes is made with a soft rubber compound that is very grippy across a wide range of conditions. The soles have forward and rear-facing lugs, the latter designed for braking, which are pretty standard on hiking shoes, regardless of type. Their grip on rocky or wet surfaces is excellent, which you’d expect given their softer rubber lugs.
The outsole is also completely flat, making it sub-optimal to use the Nova 4 with gaiters requiring a gaiter strap. Your best bet will be to glue a piece of Velcro to the heel of the shoes, so they can be used with gaiters such as Dirty Girl Gaiters that attach to your laces and heels only.
The midsole and outsole cushioning flares in the forefoot and heel, providing extra stability to prevent ankle rolls. I was really impressed with the resulting stability of these shoes and think they’d be a particularly good option for people who want to try trail runners for hiking but are wary of turning an ankle.
Trail Runner and Hiking Shoe Comparison Table
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Recommendation
Merrell’s Nova 4 are lightweight trail runners with highly breathable uppers, a moderately cushioned sole, and grippy lugs that provide excellent traction. While they are relatively inexpensive as trail runners go, they lack many of the features of more durable trail runners, such as a rock plate, fine mesh uppers, or good gaiter anchors. While the Nova 4 shoes are super comfortable, I view them as a good all-around, multi-sport shoe for casual use on more moderate hiking trails or in urban settings. Overall, they’d be a good choice if you’re looking for an affordable pair of walking shoes with excellent comfort and stability.
Disclosure: Merrell donated shoes for review.
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