With data gained from collaborating with their prime athletes to design the road of high-performance Merrell Check Lab (MTL) sneakers, Merrell has once more created an distinctive mountain shoe with the brand new Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2. Utilizing every thing that labored effectively with the earlier mannequin of the MTL Lengthy Sky and upgrading a number of parts, Merrell has created a shoe ultimate for operating quick and lengthy over technical mountain terrain.
Merrell has all the time understood the worth of simplicity and utilizing trusted ideas for his or her sneakers. The brand new Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2 doesn’t stray removed from its predecessor however has a number of key variations for improved efficiency and match. Prepared for any sort of terrain, the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 excels when the path will get technical.
Whether or not it’s rocks, roots, or mud that should be negotiated, a runner will have the ability to transfer with velocity and confidence. Light-weight but sturdy, the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 is designed to assist Merrell’s prime athletes excel. Undoubtedly not a shoe for grinding out lengthy gradual highway miles, the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 is supposed to sort out probably the most troublesome terrain, and to do it rapidly and with willpower.
With environmentally pleasant building, together with some elements of the shoe which can be comprised of 100% recycled supplies, the model is working towards producing sneakers in a extra sustainable method. Merrell stays dedicated to creating sneakers which can be easy and high-performing, and the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 efficiently builds on the earlier mannequin to be a ready-for-anything path shoe.
Merrell athlete Georgia Tindley, able to run within the new Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2. All pictures: Merrell
Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2 Fundamental Specs
Let’s take a deeper dive into the small print of the Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2.
Marketed Weight: 19.8 ounces (560 grams) for a males’s measurement 9
Drop: 4 millimeters
Higher Materials: Created to be extremely breathable, the higher is made from mesh with 100% recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) overlays for elevated sturdiness. Redesigned to be lighter and faster to dry, it nonetheless offers safety from rocks on the path.
Lacing System: The laces are made with 100% recycled supplies. An additional eyelet on the prime of the lacing system permits for lacing customization and might present for a safer match.
Tongue: Built-in into the interior bootie of the shoe, the tongue offers a safe locked-in match. Product of 100% recycled webbing, it’s a part of the shoe’s environmentally pleasant design.
Insole: The environmentally pleasant insole is made from EVA foam with 100% recycled prime sheet.
Midsole: Newly designed with FloatPro Foam™, the midsole runs the center floor with stack top and drop to strike a super stability between cushion and floor really feel.
Outsole: Constructed to swimsuit any sort of situation, the Vibram® MegaGrip® outsole makes use of chevron-shaped 5-millimeter lugs to supply traction on each moist and dry surfaces. The sticky rubber offers confidence on roots, rocks, filth, and every thing in between.
The Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2.
Distinctive Options of the Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2
The Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2 isn’t a extremely cushioned shoe, neither is it minimalist. With an affordable stack top, it nonetheless offers cushion and safety with out sacrificing floor management. The redesigned higher offers a distinctly sock-like really feel, and the built-in inner bootie offers a locked-in match that works for a lot of foot shapes. Whatever the floor, the Vibram® MegaGrip® outsole of the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 will follow the bottom. A mountain operating shoe for any terrain, it may even be thought-about as a candidate for a one-shoe operating quiver.
New Breathable and Light-weight Higher
To optimize the match and performance of the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 higher, Merrell began with a light-weight, breathable mesh. The brand new materials permits for the higher to retain 30% much less water than its predecessor, bettering its efficiency in moist conditioners. Not solely will the brand new mesh weigh much less when moist, however it would additionally dry faster.
For improved sturdiness, the mesh is strengthened with a 100% recycled TPU coating. The strategic use of the coating retains the shoe gentle and breathable, whereas bettering its resilience in tough terrain. Total, the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 is 10% lighter than the earlier mannequin and feels gentle and nimble when operating.
The MTL Lengthy Sky 2 additionally has an inside bootie to assist lock within the match of the shoe. The webbed tongue, made from 100% recycled supplies, is built-in into the bootie to additional improve the match of the shoe. Best for scrambling, climbing, and hopping between rocks, the higher holds the foot securely and permits for assured motion.
These transferring by way of rocky, mountainous terrain perceive the annoyance of getting pebbles and particles of their sneakers. The MTL Lengthy Sky 2 comes with a D-ring gaiter attachment system to make it simple so as to add further safety. When operating at night time or in low gentle, the reflective particulars will maintain the shoe and the runner seen.
The Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2 in its pure setting.
Improved FloatPro Foam Midsole
Utilizing the success of the FloatPro Foam midsole on their Moab Flight shoe, Merrell has created a midsole for the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 that gives sufficient cushion for lengthy runs whereas sustaining a excessive degree of floor really feel and management. FloatPro is a semi-responsive foam that’s each light-weight and protecting. The midsole makes the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 adaptable in any sort of off-road terrain.
With a stack top of 23.5 millimeters on the heel and 19.5 millimeters on the toe yielding a 4-millimeter drop, the midsole runs the center floor between being extremely cushioned and minimalist with a really normal drop. This enables the shoe to work for a lot of completely different operating kinds over a wide range of distances and terrain.
The Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2 excels on trails.
Grippy and Trusted Vibram® MegaGrip® Outsole
When scrambling round within the mountains, traction is essential. With a Vibram® MegaGrip outsole, the Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2 is at house on robust terrain. The 5-millimeter lugs are deep sufficient to supply traction, whereas not being an excessive amount of for operating on filth roads or different exhausting surfaces. At its coronary heart, the MTL Lengthy Sky 2 needs to be within the mountains and on trails, however it would additionally carry out on flatter, smoother terrain. The sticky rubber offers distinctive traction on all kinds of surfaces, each moist and dry. Merrell has chosen to stick with their beforehand profitable chevron-like lug design with the MTL Lengthy Sky 2, and the structure and form of the lugs present distinctive traction on each uphills and downhills.
Merrell understands that the perfect issues are sometimes the best. The brand new MTL Lengthy Sky 2 takes the template of its predecessor, which was already a high-performance shoe, and makes it even higher.
[Editor’s Note: This article is sponsored by Merrell. Find out more about the Merrell MTL Long Sky 2. Thank you to Merrell for its sponsorship of iRunFar, which helps to make iRunFar happen and free for all to enjoy. Learn more about our sponsored articles.]
The Merrell MTL Lengthy Sky 2 is prepared for something.
