Merrell Speed Strike 2 review

We think that the Speed Strike 2 can be an excellent choice for people who:

• need a door-to-trail shoe that fits both in the city and on the trail
• go on less challenging hikes on light and moderate terrain
• want a rugged-looking yet lightweight outdoor shoe

If you expect to embark on a more demanding hike, we highly recommend stretching the budget and getting the Merrell Moab Speed 2 instead. This shoe provides much better shock absorption, upper durability, and breathability at an even lighter weight!

And if you anticipate some rocky, technical terrain on your future adventures, the Merrell Moab 3 would be a more suitable choice.

The Speed Strike 2 offers a fairly comfortable underfoot experience, especially for its price range.

With a moderate shock absorption measurement of 108 SA in the heel, it offers sufficient impact protection for a few hours of hiking or more casual door-to-trail use.

Using a basic EVA foam, this budget-friendly Merrell shoe doesn't promise a particularly responsive experience. And that proved true as our machine recorded a moderate energy return of 49.9%.

There is just enough rebound to prevent the shoe from feeling pancake flat but not so much to create a tangible spring. And that's a fair setup for a simple hiking shoe like the Speed Strike 2.

Measuring the Speed Strike 2's heel stack with a digital caliper, we got an above-average reading of 37.0 mm. Those added millimeters of foam help buffer the feet from impact but can make them feel a bit isolated from the ground.

The forefoot stack, however, is a bit more down-to-earth with a middle-range measurement of 23.5 mm.

The shoe's heel-to-toe drop, therefore, comes in at 13.5 mm, which is slightly above the category average. But unless you are specifically looking for low-drop shoes, we don't think you'll find it too steep, as this offset is common for many walking and lifestyle sneakers.

Despite its rugged appearance, the Speed Strike 2 actually feels a bit more forgiving than expected.

Pressing our durometer against its EVA foam, we recorded a balanced reading of 38.9 AC. This is indeed a little softer than the average hiking shoe platform.

This Merrell shoe is available in both medium and wide versions, but for consistency, we measure the dimensions of all our tested shoes in the same standard/medium width (men's US size 9).

As soon as we got a solid gel cast of its interiors, we used a digital caliper to measure its width in the broadest part of the forefoot. At 94.1 mm, it falls squarely into the hiking shoe average.

The Speed Strike 2's toebox shape also provides a good amount of toe space, with a perfectly medium width of 73.3 mm in the big-toe area.

There is no steep toebox taper to cram the toes together.

The shoe also leaves plenty of vertical space, eliminating pressure on the toes and toenails.

Our caliper measured a very generous 33.0 mm of toebox height in the Speed Strike 2.

Merrell positions the Speed Strike 2 for moderate trail types, and its outsole design reflects that.

We measured the shoe's lug depth at a moderate 3.7 mm, which is not too aggressive for hard-packed ground and city streets but has some edges for biting into light dirt, roots, boulders, and the like.

The treads are wide and flat to accommodate walking on harder ground. However, its perimeter lugs are made sharper to provide grip on ascents and descents.

With its moderate forefoot stack and the absence of rigid overlays, there is not much to limit the flexibility of the Speed Strike 2.

Measuring the force it takes to bend the shoe by 30 degrees, we recorded a below-average reading of 16.1N. It flexes easily with the foot, making heel-to-toe transitions smoother.

Promising 'a faster, more athletic style than traditional hikers,' Merrell fulfills it with the Speed Strike 2's lightweight construction.

Tipping the scales at 12.3 oz (349g), it is notably lighter than the average hiking shoe. However, it's not as light as its more advanced counterpart, the Merrell Moab Speed 2 (11.6 oz/329g).

No heavy overlays, no waterproofing, and lots of mesh – at first glance, the Speed Strike 2 looks like a perfectly breathable option for summer use, right?

Well, unfortunately, our lab test proves otherwise. With a very low score of 54 BR, this shoe's materials are pretty bad at pulling sweat away from the skin. This increases the likelihood of moisture buildup and unpleasantly damp socks.

And once this Merrell shoe gets wet, it doesn't dry quickly enough to make the interior feel fresh again while on the hike.

By the end of our 3-hour breathability test, the shoe's materials had evaporated a moderate 44% of moisture.

Curiously, the Speed Strike 2 turned out to be better at retaining heat, which helps it feel warmer when the temperature drops.

It's not a full-on winter shoe by any means, but with an above-average insulation of 0.279 m² K/W, it loses heat more slowly than the other hiking shoes.

Wear-testing the Merrell Speed Strike 2, we experienced a perfect amount of stability for the shoe's intended purpose: day hiking on light-to-moderate terrain.

Not overbuilt but decently structured, the shoe has enough torsional rigidity (16 Nm) to prevent excessive midfoot twisting on less challenging hikes.

Yet it is a bit more pliable than most classic hikers.

A good amount of stability comes from this Merrell shoe's rigid heel counter, which scored a maximum 5 out of 5 in our manual test.

Hugging the rearfoot firmly, it minimizes heel and ankle shifting and wobbling.

The platform dimensions of this Merrell shoe are neither too slim nor too wide.

Our caliper proved its midsole width to be on par with the average at 111.2 mm in the widest part of the forefoot.

The widest part of the shoe's heel also showed a merely standard reading of 88.8 mm. That's enough landing area to stay surefooted without feeling too chunky or platformy.

The Speed Strike 2's affordability revealed its limitations in our durability tests, where we tested the wear resistance of its components with a Dremel.

First, we applied the tool to the top of the shoe's toebox which had nothing but exposed mesh. That didn't end well, as the textile got destroyed in a matter of seconds, lowering our durability score to 1 out of 5.

The mesh lining inside the shoe's collar hardly performed any better, as it tore apart almost instantly. That lowered our heel padding durability score to only 2 out of 5.

But on a positive note, the shoe's rubber outsole performed admirably with a moderate dent of 0.8 mm. This result is just as good as in the more expensive hiking shoes!

And the amount of outsole rubber on top of the shoe's lug depth looks reassuring as well. Our caliper measured its thickness at a standard 2.3 mm.

The insole in this Merrell shoe is basic yet adequately padded with 4.5 mm of thickness in the heel.

Yet if you want to make the step-in feel of this shoe cushier or more supportive with a custom orthotic, you can easily remove the stock insert. Gladly, the shoe's accommodating fit should allow most alternative insoles.

Its above-average heat retention makes the Merrell Speed Strike 2 a good option for the transition season, but how does its midsole behave when the temperature drops?

After a 20-minute freezer session, we repeated our durometer measurement and found that the shoe's foam firms up by 23%, losing its moderately soft properties and becoming just as firm as the average hiking shoe.

The shoe doesn't have any reflective elements to make it visible in low-light conditions.

The Speed Strike 2's interior is adequately padded, showing just a standard tongue thickness of 9.1 mm. We had no issues with the instep pressure or lace bites.

The shoe's tongue is free-floating and has no gussets on the sides. It makes the fit a bit more relaxed, in tune with its semi-casual intent.

A webbed finger loop helps get the shoe on more quickly and easily.

The Merrell Speed Strike 2 belongs to the brand's affordable price range but delivers solid value for money.