With spring on the horizon, it’s almost time to put away those winter boots and break out the trail shoes. And anyone who’s spent time in the outdoor space knows that Merrell’s footwear is some of the best you can get. Building off of one of the label’s most popular trail runners and debuting in 2022, the Agility Peak 5s would go on to win the ISPO award shortly after dropping and got hit with GORE-TEX towards the end of last year. Now Merrell is back with the Agility Peak 5 BOA GORE-TEX, outfitting the award-winning runners with a new lacing system.
Using the same lacing system that ski and snowboard boots use (invented by BOA back in 2001), Merrell is ditching traditional laces for a BOA fit system, which means you only need to turn a dial to get a custom fit. Not only does this keep your laces from flying around and give you more precise adjustments, but it also cuts down on weight, which is super helpful for long-distance runs (and also adds to the gorped-up look of the OG silhouette). Besides that, you’re getting the same design and construction as the Agility Peak 5 GORE-TEX: a mesh and TPU upper with an EVA foam footbed and a FloatPro Foam midsole, finished with a Vibram MegaGrip outsole and covered in a waterproof GORE-TEX membrane. This silhouette is also vegan-friendly and constructed mostly with recycled materials (even the BOA system is made with 35% recycled material).
While Merrell’s gear has always been a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts, the label hasn’t historically been a fashionable brand. But considering the popularity of outdoor gear in the fashion scene, and Merrell steadily pumping out the same reliable gear with a more fashionable slant (spearheaded by the streetwear-slanted 1TRL sublabel), the label’s selection is only getting more stylish.
The Merrell Agility Peak 5 BOA GORE-TEX is available now for $190 in the all-black colorway featured here.
