All Out Charge – Performance

The All Out Charge is nowhere near as minimal as Merrell’s zero-drop range of barefoot shoes, but it still has a low to the ground, stable feel to it. The pay off to that is while its not as cushioned on hard surfaces as something like a Salomon Speedcross, it does feel connected to the trail.

Combine that with a comfortable and precise fit from the uppers and it’s a neat and nimble ride on medium through to soft surfaces. It also manages okay on stony stuff, where it has far more underfoot protection than, say, the Salewa Lite Train.

Those 4mm M-Select GRIP lugs do a decent job too. They’re grippy on rock and hardpack and still capable on medium-soft stuff. We did find that the front of the forefoot struggled occasionally on steep climbs with soft surfaces and the shoe is eventually outfaced by proper muddy slop.

Verdict

Merrell’s modish looks and new technologies can make it hard to work out what’s happening beneath the styling – in the past we’ve used Merrell models and never quite been sure what they’re for – but the All Out Charge is actually a pretty decent firm to medium conditions trail shoe.

It feels low, neat and secure. Has ample grip on hardpack through to medium-soft surfaces and while it’s not ideal for continuous hard surfaces – slabbed, rocky tracks come to mind – the relative paucity of cushioning translates into a stable feel on rougher ground.

A good option for the happy middle ground between real slop and paved tracks.

More Information

See www.merrell.com