Spring is just around the corner. It’s the time of year when an array of color returns to the stark world of white, and the time our exercise regime begins again in earnest. This year, we’ve resolved to get out of the gym and make the most of the outdoors. Running toward the morning sunrise, the sound of our footfalls on the trail–being outside reminds us of what it means to be complete, to be connected. It is also the essence of Merrell M-Connect, a new array of lightweight, minimalist footwear designed to provide a better ‘connection’ to the world around you.
Increasingly, athletes and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes are seeking lighter, more versatile shoes that perform as good as they look. Drawing on 30 years of leading outdoor performance and innovation, Merrell is once again pushing the boundaries of traditional fit paradigms and introducing the M-Connect Series for Spring 2013.
Working with the University of Virginia’s SPEED Performance Clinic and Motion Analysis Lab, Merrell tested the stability and traction of different designs to in search of the ideal blend they believed would provide balanced levels of flexibility, stability and traction. The result is the introduction of Merrell M-Connect, a series featuring four collections, each geared toward a specific activity (running, training, hiking or multi-sport) and all focused on the foot’s connection with the ground.
The line is built with a range between zero and four millimeter heel-to-toe drop. Each product also offers graded cushioning with ground response and protection geared to the specific activity for which it’s intended. The M-Connect lineup includes the innovative multi-hike Proterra, the updated Barefoot with heightened ground feel, the enhanced Bare Access for minimal cushioning, and the Mix Master for multi-sport fun.
Barefoot running has become an increasingly popular, albeit contentious, subject among athletes and researchers. Lightweight barefoot running shoes are designed to offer the modern runner the experience of running with naked feet. Supporters of barefoot running say it’s more natural and economical. The logic goes that a traditional running shoe with more weight requires more energy to lift it. Further, extra cushioning in shoes absorbs energy that should go into propelling you forward. The M-Connect series is designed to offer the individual the best of both worlds, a natural minimalist connection to the world underfoot, while still providing a moderate level of cushioning and support.
What connects the M-Connect series? A lightweight, streamlined and flexible design; a natural, glove-like fit; and, of course, that connection between the foot and the ground all rooted in the expertise of Merrell’s experience in manufacturing footwear and apparel to meet the daily demands of life in the world. In other words, M-Connect couples the biomechanical aspects of minimalist shoes with some of the structure and support of a more traditional athletic shoes.
As more athletes embrace minimalist and barefoot running, Merrell’s seamless extension of the market to other categories of footwear makes perfect sense. As the next generation of Merrell’s popular Barefoot Collection, M-Connect expands the company’s barefoot portfolio by adding hiking, multi-sport and lifestyle shoes.
One of the favorites of our gear team has been the multi-hike Proterra, which applies minimalist principles to produce a more agile, breathable hiking boot. According to Merrell, “Proterra is built on a four millimeter drop and demonstrated to improve a person’s stability through an outsole that enhances contact with the ground and a patent-pending upper that uses Stratafuse™ technology. Stratafuse injects the foot cage into the mesh upper, fusing it together for a lightweight fit, natural movement and incredible durability.”
As the first mainstream company to cater to the barefoot running movement, Merrell was responsive to the emerging market for minimalist products. Once again, they seem to be ahead of the curve in their realization that not everyone is willing or able to fully embrace the minimalist movement. In a bright, vibrant fashion, the M-Connect series unlocks the connection between individual and their surroundings through a series of products that brings an instinctive and natural design across run, training, hiking and multi-sport platforms.
Bottom Line…
Since the beginning Merrell has been passionate about getting people into the world outside. They’ve worked diligently to craft the gear that gets you out there—from city streets to mountain trails and everywhere in between. The introduction of the M-Connect series not only furthers this passion of getting people outdoors, but in actually helping them to connect to the world around them in a more natural way.