Built for speed, the award-winning MTL Skyfire 2 Trail Running Shoe from Merrell has us inching closer to the podium. The plush yet lively foam softens the blow of our strikes and sends the energy right back to us, while the FlexPlate harnesses and magnifies that energy for snappy toe offs that sail us through fast transitions. As we stride atop technical terrain, the agile platform and multi-directional lugs inject confidence in our strides to keep us one with the trail, and the elastic lace keeper ensures overreaching brush can't trip us up or untie our fit.