Why It’s Hot: The rugged, SeaQuench-themed trail runner adds algae to your midsole.
- Flex grooves in the midsole give you better, more adaptable ground contact
- A sticky and durable outsole grips all terrain
- The TPU overlays and laces are 100-percent recycled, and there’s a 40-percent recycled mesh lining, among other eco-friendly features
Price: $110
Style: Trail running
Available: Now
Beer drinkers with a trail-running problem, make note: Merrell just released a new limited-edition version of its Agility Synthesis Flex trail shoe in collaboration with Dogfish Head. Now fans of the craft beer label’s SeaQuench Ale—a salty, lime sour that goes down like boozy Gatorade after a sweaty workout—can match their shoes to their post-run beer. Or perhaps just fantasize about said beer every time they look down while scrambling up a rocky incline? Whatever it takes to keep you motivated in this sticky, end-of-summer heat.
Designed to resemble SeaQuench Ale’s sea-foam green can, the co-branded shoe packs all the features that made the original trail runner a top pick for technical terrain, like a flexible midsole, hard toe cap, and sticky rubber outsole. But this time around, Merrell added even more sustainable ingredients. Two water bottles-worth of recycled material went into crafting the mesh upper. The midsole was made with 10-percent algae foam instead of petroleum, and the lugged outsole uses 30-percent recycled rubber.
If the partnership strikes you as odd, know that it was partially motivated by the two brands’ shared interest in conservation and the outdoors. To cap off the eco-friendliness of the shoe collaboration, Merrell will donate $10,000 to the Conservation Alliance to protect lands for both trail running and wildlife.
Check out the Merrell X Dogfish Head trail shoes now at merrell.com and other sellers for $110. Or crack open a SeaQuench Ale the next time you’re thirsty after a hot run and filling your hydration pack with margarita mix starts to sound like a good idea.
https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a29023303/merrell-dogfish-head/
