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Merrell Test Lab Breaks New Ground

Incubator develops latest category-disruptor designs. By Greg Dutter

IT’S ALIVE! IT’S ALIVE! Dr. Frankenstein would surely approve of the Merrell Test Lab (MTL), the product incubator that conceives the brand’s most category-disruptive innovations. The latest shoes to make it out of the lab, the MTL Long Sky 2 and MTL MQM, are part of a new elite trail running collection that are lab verified and athlete validated to guarantee agility, versatility and trail-specific protection in the roughest off-road conditions. The MTL, says Shaun Bohnsack, vice president of product development, made it all possible.

“MTL is a great vehicle to validate new materials, constructions and ideas, and we’re excited to continually develop amazing products that push the envelope in this space with our athletes,” Bohnsack says, adding that lab advancements made in cushioning, traction, quick dry and other areas will permeate the entire brand. “Working closely with elite athletes gives us the opportunity to learn about the multitude of other benefits as we create product launches going forward. We’re excited to continue learning and make all Merrell products better through this experience.”

To celebrate this initial wave of category innovation, Merrell launched the integrated marketing campaign, “Same is Boring,” a rallying cry celebrating the ever-changing nature of the trail and a call to get runners to choose the brand. Running on roads and treadmills is functional, monotonous and different than trails, so Merrell set out to provide a solution to give runners confidence in new terrain, explains Nathan Buelow, senior brand marketing manager. “We hope ‘Same is Boring’ inspires the next generation of runners to think about the trail as the next level of their competitive pursuits and educates them about how our product innovations can propel their performance,” he says.

The MTL Long Sky 2 (SRP: $140) combines the lightweight performance of track shoes infused with the durability of hiking boots. The shoe features a Vibram Megagrip outsole with five-millimeter lugs to keep feet firmly planted in loose terrain; a FloatPro Foam midsole to reduce fatigue; and a fabric upper designed for optimal water evacuation that’s MTL-proven to dry faster so runners can stay outside longer. The uppers are also abrasion resistant, antibacterial and breathable. The MTL MQM (stands for Moving Quickly over Mountains) is like three shoes in one: climber in front, hiker in the back and agile enough for trail running. Featuring 100 percent recycled laces, tongue webbing and PU insole, the MTL MQM ($150) features two Vibram compounds: Idrogrip for grip in the toe area in wet environments and MegaGrip, which offers a combination of grip and durability in the heel and midfoot for wet and dry surfaces.

MTL first started taking shape in 2017, a time when Bohnsack says Merrell was working with athletes to validate products primarily through external testing groups. That provided great feedback, but the team identified an opportunity to utilize the athletes at the beginning of the ideation process to create more freedom in exploring design solutions. A lab, however, is a challenging concept for outdoor brands. “Our product has to work in nature, where the environment is always changing, and this creates a difficult scenario to solve in a fixed lab setting alone,” Bohnsack explains. “That’s why we created a method to test and validate in the field first with an expert base of athletes. The ‘trail is our lab’ was a rallying cry when we kicked off MTL and, as it evolved, we’ve found great partners to create new ways to standardized testing in the lab, taking some of the human element out so that we can repeatedly test specific areas of the shoes to determine if we are improving key areas, like traction and cushioning.”

The collaborative nature of MTL is a boon to the overall design process, Bohnsack adds. “Working directly with our athletes creates an openness in our process and dialogue that allows the experts to explain their needs and be fully connected with the testing and validation processes,” he says. “Through this back and forth, we’ve been able to challenge our preconceived notions of what has to go into different types of products.”

An example of this collaboration was the decision to use quick-dry materials on the MTL Long Sky 2. Those materials are more commonly used in Merrell’s hydro/water shoes. “Our athletes explained that they often run through streams and rivers during races and don’t have time to take

their shoes off, and shoes that don’t drain or dry quickly are a real issue,” Bohnsack says. “Fueled by this insight, we utilized specific materials to manage the amount of water the shoes would pick up and accelerate drying time. This was tested both in the field and the lab. The result is a shoe that dries out significantly faster than our past models and the competition.”

Above all, Bohnsack says MTL allows the product team to really geek out. That includes freedom to experiment and not be tied to seasonal schedules. The innovations come organically with the overriding goal to keep pushing the envelope. “Our team works in a more unrestricted way to test new designs, materials and innovations,” he says. “No idea is off the table at the beginning.”

Trail category disruptors, the MTL MQM and MTL Long Sky 2 (top left).