Merrell Women's Antora 2 Trail Running Shoes, Rainbow Mountain 3, 9.5

Once my other Merrell shoes wore out, I went to these. They were comfortable, my feet felt supported but not constricted. I don't love the pattern as much I had hoped but I care more about a comfortable, supportive trail running shoe for my runs, typically 2 to 4 miles.

This is my second pair of Antoras. I love them because they're comfortable on-road and off, which means great performance on the street, on my way to the trails. The colours and design are hideous but also pretty effective for runner visibility. The ‘Vibram' sole is great on trails or natural ground; I find it a little slippery on wet blacktop, on rainy days or dewy mornings so take care when running in wet conditions. In terms of durability, this model of Antora uses much cheaper materials, and less robust trim, so TBD on runner longevity and weak points. I always expect trail runners to be a little more rugged but it feels like Merrell is going in a different direction lately.