Merrell Speed Eco review

Don't miss out on the Merrell Speed Eco if:

• you need an affordable shoe for easy hikes on light terrain
• you give preference to sustainably made products
• you want a lightweight and non-technical hiking shoe

If you want an equally lightweight but more capable hiking shoe for longer hikes, the Moab Speed 2 is a step-up option from Merrell. It is grippier, better cushioned, and more durable.

Another light and speedy alternative is the Salomon Outpulse. Stellar grip and outsole durability for its price!

Measuring the Speed Eco's heel stack, our digital caliper recorded a moderate reading of 32.4 mm.

This is a standard platform thickness for a hiking shoe offering a middle ground between impact protection and contact with the trail.

The shoe's forefoot stack came in at 20.4 mm which is slightly below the category average.

This is not a ton of cushioning but makes the shoe more nimble and flexible - just as the 'Speed' in its name suggests.

According to Merrell, the shoe's heel-to-toe drop measures 10 mm. However, our caliper readings proved it to be even higher at 12.0 mm.

Fortunately, this 2-mm difference is not noticeable on foot, and the Speed Eco feels a lot like most other hiking shoes.

Unless you are a fan of low-drop or even zero-drop shoes, a standard offset of 8-12 mm should feel optimal for long hours of hiking. It takes the pressure off the Achilles and calves, provides enhanced cushioning under the heel, and is more supportive for carrying a backpack.

The Merrell Speed Eco uses a single-density EVA foam for midsole cushioning. We found that it is a pretty dense compound that doesn't feel very soft underfoot.

With a high durometer reading of 30.0 HA, its foam leans toward the firmer end of the spectrum. It is nowhere near as soft as the cushioning in the Merrell Moab Speed 2 (19.0 HA).

The firmness and moderate sole thickness of the Speed Eco can make it feel somewhat dull and less comfortable on long distances. But on the bright side, you get the benefit of being more connected to the trail, stable, and confident with your footing.

Firm at room temperature, the shoe's midsole doesn't get much harder in cold conditions.

Having kept the Speed Eco in the freezer for 20 minutes, we repeated the durometer measurement and found that it only firmed up by 12%.

Whether you're hiking in chilly weather or leaving the shoes outside overnight, you won't notice any major changes in this Merrell shoe's cushioning.

With a thickness of 4.5 mm, the shoe's insole is on par with the category average.

The Merrell Speed Eco offers a predictable D medium width which is neither too snug nor too roomy for our medium-width feet. But let's take a closer look at the gel replica of the shoe's interiors to confirm this.

Using a digital caliper, we measured the widest part of the mold at 92.6 mm. While this came close to our narrow category, it is still within the medium range.

The absence of tapering and the rounded shape of the shoe's toebox make it accommodating for a medium-width foot.

Measuring the mold in the big toe area, we got an above-average reading of 73.7 mm.

Merrell is pretty generous with the vertical space of the Speed Eco.

Clocking in at 30.8 mm, its toebox proved to be higher than average leaving some wiggle room above the toes.

The forefoot and heel lugs of the Speed Eco face different directions to accommodate ascents and descents respectively.

The triangular lugs in the middle bite into softer terrain while the wide and smooth lugs around them offer traction on smooth rocks and boulders.

Even though it doesn't have any special supportive elements or foot-stabilizing technologies, we found the Merrel Speed Eco to be an inherently stable shoe thanks to its firm platform.

But please note that its lateral stability is only sufficient for what the shoe is intended for - moderate hikes on light terrain. So it's not the support you need for tackling challenging terrain with a heavier load.

Even though there is no shank inside, the Speed Eco turned out to have a lot of torsional rigidity in its midfoot. That made the shoe much harder to twist raising our stiffness score to 4/5.

This is the primary indicator of this Merrell shoe's lateral stability.

The shoe's heel counter also has some moderate rigidity to it earning a middle-range stiffness score of 3/5. However, this is just enough to add some rearfoot support for short hikes on easy trails.

Neither too wide nor slim, the Speed Eco's midsole dimensions fall straight into the average range of hiking shoes.

We measured the widest part of its platform at a standard 112.2 mm.

The shoe's heel also proved to be on par with the average at 87.0 mm in its widest area. Not too platformy but with enough surface area to keep us feeling steady.

We are surprised to see that the Speed Eco's forefoot flexibility has not been affected by its rigid platform as much.

Fixing the shoe to our flexibility testing machine, we measured the amount of force it takes to bend it by 30 degrees. At 14.2N, it needs less effort than the average hiking shoe which makes its ride feel more natural.

Designed for easy hikes, the Merrell Speed Eco can afford to be a lightweight shoe.

Tipping the scale at 11.6 oz (329g), it is nearly 2 oz lighter than the average. This makes the shoe feel airy and doesn't drag the foot down.

The Speed Eco is not a waterproof shoe but its densely woven fabric hinders breathability quite a bit.

You can see how thin the billows of smoke are in the Merrell Speed Eco compared to the Merrell Antora 3 in our breathability test. Considering the difference, we couldn't rate the Speed Eco's ventilation capacity any higher than 2/5.

When we hovered the shoe's half-cut upper over the LED light, we didn't see any air channels or pores light up either.

What's more, we couldn't even see any gaps between the threads in our microscope test! Only weaves of different thickness that fit tightly together.

But there is a bright side to the shoe's dense mesh upper - it can sustain a lot more wear and tear than the other textiles we've tested!

Exposing the Speed Eco's toebox to sandpaper for 12 seconds at a 5K RPM speed, we were amazed by its ability to hold up! Because of only minor scuffing, we rated the shoe's toebox durability at 4/5 which confirms its ability to fend off scrapes, slashes, and stick pokes.

Unfortunately, the inner lining of this Merrell shoe did not live up to the strength of its outer material.

It literally took the Dremel one second to tear the shoe's collar lining apart! Thus, we expect it to fail sooner than any other part of the shoe (and it won't be long before it does).

We could live with the shoe's torn inner lining but we cannot forgive its lack of outsole durability...

Our Dremel went halfway through one of the shoe's rubber lugs within 18 seconds and left a dent as deep as 1.4 mm.

This demonstrates poor abrasion resistance and can lead to faster outsole wear, especially if you frequent concrete and asphalt or step out of lighter trails to tackle some rocky patches.

As a shoe meant for light terrain, the Speed Eco doesn't have a very thick rubber layer either. Measuring its thickness without the lugs, our caliper recorded only 1.7 mm.

Merrell didn't lie when they promised 4 mm lugs on the Speed Eco. Our caliper confirmed it with a measurement of 3.8 mm.

This is surprisingly deep for the shoe's intended purpose but we can't complain since the extra millimeters helped with grip in light dirt and soft grassy patches.

The Speed Eco is a more affordable option from Merrell and we consider it reasonably priced. The shoe has its shortcomings but our lab tests confirmed that it ticks all the boxes of a functional hiking shoe for easier hikes on light terrain.

What's more, it packs a ton of sustainable recycled materials without raising the price point.

None of the shoe's elements are reflective so there is no visibility in the dark.

The shoe's interiors are decently padded with foam which is centered in the tongue and the collar. Measuring its tongue thickness returned a slightly below-average reading of 7.7 mm.

According to the brand's description, the Merrell Speed Eco comes with a bellows tongue (also known as a gusseted tongue).

However, our inspection showed no gussets or other pieces connecting the tongue to the rest of the upper! It is completely separated with large gaps on both sides.

A finger loop at the back helps to slip into the shoe with less effort.

The shoe's insole is removable so you have the option to swap it for your own orthotic.

This Merrell shoe carries the word 'Eco' in its name for a good reason. Nearly every part of the Speed Eco is made of recycled sources:

• External Jacquard mesh (77%)
• Internal mesh lining (100%)
• Mesh insole lining (100%)
• Laces and webbing (100%)
• Removable insole (50%)
• Rubber outsole (30%)