Merrell has one of the deepest lineups of hiking shoes and boots on the market, so when it says it's developed something that disrupts the market and reinvents sole construction, it's worth having a look. The method to the madness behind the alien-looking SpeedArc Surge Boa is a nitrogen-injected coiled midsole that adds high-performance rebound and energy return and a dual-Boa system for tight, dialed-in zonal fit.
Merrell's team didn't have to look far off the trail to find ideas for the new SpeedArc – they simply turned their gaze to the dirt road that leads to the trail, using an independent off-road vehicle suspension system as the inspiration for the shoe's two-part foam construction. The foam provides both shock absorbing-compression and energy-boosting rebound.
The 4x4 inspiration gets channeled directly into the standout feature of the SpeedArc: the puffy, bubbly midsole pods the company calls "active response coils." Each coil is made from two separate layers of nitrogen-injected foam separated by a central nylon flex plate running most of the length of the shoe. The bottom foam layer absorbs the impact energy of the sole hitting hard, jarring terrain, while the upper layer soaks up energy from each step to repurpose into the liftoff of the next step. The hiker is meant to experience softer contact and more effortless lift on each stride.
“We’ve purposefully built the SpeedArc Surge Boa to return every ounce of energy you put in, taking each stride and propelling it forward," explains Merrell design director Ian Cobb. "With double the energy return found in our independent lab tests, it keeps your feet feeling cushioned and comfortable every step of the way so you can experience a motion that knows no bounds and zero limitations. This shoe will make your four miles feel like two."
We can't quite buy into the miraculous energy-boosting, distance-halving performance of the shoe without confirming it firsthand on the trail, but we can just look at those poofy, nitro-boosted coils and believe they make for a softer, cushier landing on each step.
While "SpeedArc Surge" is a pretty solid name, we think "Coiler" would be more succinctly descriptive of this particular shoe. Because beyond those active response coils that are the first and last thing you'll remember about it, the other standout feature is a pair of Boa coilers on each shoe.
The dual Boa dials stand out because, while dual-Boa systems have long been common across larger boots (we've been loving them on snowboard boots for years), not many low-cut hiking shoes we've shopped come with two dials squeezed in. The extra dial creates a more personalized, micro-adjustable dual-zone fit that lets you separately tighten the high section of the upper near the knit-bootie ankle collar and the mid/low-section of the upper closer to the toes.
When engineered correctly, a dual-Boa system delivers a snug, uniform fit that better secures the footwear comfortably around the entire foot. It then prevents potential shortcomings of single-dial Boa closures, such as having the ankle and upper foot absolutely locked in while the toes are left swimming around, a problem we've personally experienced with a single-Boa trail running shoe.
Beyond the more precise fit, the dual-Boa system also promises easier adjustment and use on the trail. Loosening the shoe up a touch requires just a couple quick clicks of the dial rather than untying laces, loosening laces and shoe upper material, and retying.
And the simplest but potentially most helpful advantage: no untied or dangling laces to trip on. For that matter, no more prying open the double knots you may use to prevent untied laces.
The SpeedArc Surge Boa definitely seems like a serious piece of wearable tech, but is it worth a $290 price? We're not sure even Merrell's that confident as it's only offering the hiker as a limited release for now. It definitely has our curiosity piqued, though, so if Merrell decides to keep it around a little longer, we might have to test a pair come hiking season.
Source: Merrell