50 Words or Less
The Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX offer cross-over performance suitable for trail hiking and golf. Excellent traction and comfort. Take note of sizing recommendation.
Introduction
As you may have read on my About page [find it HERE], I do have interests outside golf – including hiking. So you can probably understand my surprise when I found “golf” listed as an activity category while researching hiking shoes on the Merrell website. I didn’t find any golf shoes in the traditional sense, but I did find the tagline “superior traction is now par for the course” with a photo of the Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX. Intrigued, I said to myself “I’ll be the judge of that” and ordered a pair.
Looks
On a display shelf or in hand, I don’t believe golf will be the first thing that comes to mind when looking at the Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX shoes. Without even seeing the soles, the visible edges of the heavy lugs suggest these shoes mean business – and not in the office sense. Interestingly, looking down at my feet with the shoes on, the look is athletic and not out of line with other golf shoes I wear.
Overall, the Moab Speed 2 are great looking modern trail shoes. The grid pattern of the nylon ripstop uppers provides visual interest and the thick midsole signals comfort. Branding is modest in size, but still a bit too prevalent for my taste. The Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX are available in 12 colorways, each equally as appealing as my chalk pair.
Comfort
I took the Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX for a long walk straight out of the box and concluded they didn’t need any break-in period before a full round of golf. Under foot, the shoes had a central stiffness that is common for hiking shoes, yet there was ample flex at the forefoot for natural walking motion. I sensed heightened cushioning in my heel as the shoe struck the ground and a boost as I transitioned through the step. I later learned Merrell utilizes what they call FloatPro for their midsole material. Generous cushioning ensconced my ankle, providing for a secure fit.
I ordered the shoes a half size large as suggested on the Merrell website and was pleased with the overall fit (I’m a standard D). I enjoyed having some wiggle room in the toe box and plenty of adjustability with the lacing system. For readers who are into details, the Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX had a 10mm heel drop, a tad less than I expected from their looks.
Performance
Let me jump straight into traction – it was excellent. Although an issue with the HOKA Transport GTX I previously reviewed (you can read it HERE), traction with the Moab Speed 2 was solid throughout my swing in every ground condition I encountered.
The Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX had great lateral stability. The Merrell FlexPlate technology created a nice balance of torsional rigidity and the aforementioned forefoot flexibility. Clearly there’s commonality between the needs of the golfer and hiker on the performance front.
And as you certainly garnered from the name, these shoes feature a GORE-TEX membrane for “exceptional breathability and waterproof performance.” With the absence of rain during my field testing, I performed an obligatory faucet test and lo and behold, the most recognized name on the subject passed with flying colors. I have to also say that I liked the nylon ripstop fabric Merrell used in the Moab Speed 2 uppers – both in being different from a golf shoe perspective but also for durability. Finally, I appreciate seeing Merrell’s list of all the recycled materials utilized in the shoe.
Conclusion
Well, this judge definitely concludes that the Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX are worthy of being considered for golf. The overall look may garner some comments from your playing partners, but when conditions get sloppy, the aggressive lugs and GORE-TEX fabric are sure to play to your advantage. On the golf course or on the trails, the Merrell Moab Speed 2 GORE-TEX can conquer the challenges of the day – all while keeping your feet happy.
Visit Merrell HERE
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3 Comments
Thanks for the Merrell review. As someone who has difficulty finding a generous toe box (4E), Merrell is always my ? for hikers. I never considered them for golf until now. One question: Did you find the GTX membrane too warm while playing
I did not sense that Gary. Ambient temps were reasonable during my testing, but I don’t suspect there to be any issues.
-Meeks
I headed over to the Merrell website and there are some sick colorways on this shoe. #007