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I’ve seen plenty of different people review the Agility Peak 5 shoes from Merrell; however, what I haven’t seen is a NORMAL person review these shoes. I’m not a paid trail runner, I’m not an athlete, and I’m likely much like you. So, that is exactly where I am going to come from in this review. I’m going to tell you how a normal person wears these quite impressive shoes on a day-to-day basis.
There’s a bit of hiking, a lot of driving, and plenty of day-to-day stuff done with these shoes. So, if you are considering these shoes for your daily driver shoes, then listen up, as this is for you. In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about them, what I like, what I don’t, and exactly who they are for.
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What are the Merrell Agility Peak 5 shoes?
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- So incredibly comfortable
- A more compact design
- The bright colors
- Insane amounts of grip
- They don't do double-duty in the fashion world
- These shoes aren't cheap
Now, if you knew me, you probably would be a bit confused as to why I am wearing these shoes, as they are marketed as “Rugged” trail running shoes that are “Made for trails with lots of obstacles with heavy debris. Frequent speed, direction, and vertical changes.”. However, the brand wanted to send me a pair for free (I actually ended up with three pairs), so why not!
These shoes offer Vibram soles (which I have learned to very much enjoy from past shoes), and they feature a “Float Foam” midsole that offers plenty of impact protection. You also have your choice of plenty of different colors, ranging from an off-white (which I have) to white and pink (which I have), to orange (which I also have), to a mossy green color (I don’t have that one).
Regardless, there aren’t many normal colors here; all stand out quite a bit.
What do I like about the shoes?
1. So incredibly comfortable
My feet are picky, like really picky! Generally speaking, most shoes I have worn tend to hurt my feet in some way or another. While I had settled on a single brand a while ago, just because they were comfortable, I was willing to branch out and try Merrell, just based on their reputation alone (and the Vibram sole).
I’m glad I did! The arch of my foot is normally the culprit when it comes to my feet hurting, and the Agility Peak 5s do a fantastic job of taking care of them. From the moment I started wearing them, I could tell these could be my daily driver shoes, and I could likely wear them throughout the day with no problems and no pain. I was right!
2. A more compact design
I have been very used to larger shoes, specifically ones from Deckers X Lab (you can see a review of their shoes here). While those were amazing shoes, I was pleasantly surprised at how much more compact these Peak 5’s were than other trail running shoes I had used in the past. They are incredibly lightweight and have a size that matches them.
3. The bright colors
There’s no way around it. I’m one of those people who likes a bit of bright color on me at all times. I don’t wear too much bright, but I like those bright accents. These Merrell Agility Peak 5s give me just that! I have three different color variations now: the melon/clay, the white/multi, and the cloud color. Only the cloud version doesn’t offer a bright pop of color (and has become my every-day shoe).
4. Insane amounts of grip
I have been so incredibly impressed with how much grip these shoes have. Regardless of what I am doing with them, the massive, and deep tread on the bottom of the shoes do their job. The only circumstance where I have felt differently is on wet pavement. While this may not be what they are meant for, it is a place I regularly find myself as I daily-wear these shoes.
Other than that one place, I know I won’t be slipping around in these shoes. It causes a lot of confidence in what you are doing, wherever you are.
What do I NOT like about the Peak 5’s?
1. They don’t do double duty in the fashion world
I have been using these shoes on a daily basis for the past couple of months. I think they look awesome, and I am always happy to wear them. However, I can’t ignore the fact that they do look like trail running shoes. That means that you will likely feel underdressed if you are doing anything more than just casual wear. If you are looking for something that is just as at home at work (unless you work from home like me) as it is on the trails, you probably should be looking elsewhere.
However, if you are someone that has quite a few different pairs of shoes, and these truly will be just your trail running shoes, this won’t be a concern for you whatsoever, as I think they are one of the better-looking trail running shoes (especially with all of the available variants).
2. These shoes aren’t cheap
While these shoes do regularly see sales that allow them to drop below $100, the base price of the shoe is $140. That is not a cheap shoe and is likely far out of budget for most trail-running novices (or weird people who wear them everywhere, like me). While these may be incredibly comfortable, look great, and are well made, it’s hard to ignore the fact that you can still buy a good trail running shoe for half the price.
Who should buy these trail running shoes?
I would recommend these shoes to anyone who has a large budget set aside for a good trail running shoe. They have incredible amounts of grip and are built very well. By far, my favorite feature is their comfort, as it isn’t an easy thing to make my feet feel comfortable in a shoe, and this does that in spades.
However, for many people who are on a budget (and don’t have picky feet), I have no doubt you could find a good shoe for you for half the price. These are truly amazing shoes (Paid Link), even if they are expensive, and if you can get the budget there, they are well worth it.
Where should you buy the Agility Peak 5’s?
I have found that Merrell’s website or Amazon is likely going to be your best bet for purchase! While there are plenty of retailers that offer this shoe, Merrell runs plenty of sales, and different variants have been on sale pretty much all the time during my review period here.
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