Throughout the hot summer, the open mesh upper was excellent, allowing excellent ventilation that negated the need to reach for the sandals or flip flops. When used for crossing rivers or kayaking of any sort, water drained extremely quickly and with the overall mass so low, these were great for races when shoes had to be carried and were my first choice of footwear in the Rat Races this year.
However, when the terrain was any rougher than a maintained trail I found the Overdrive less than ideal. Particularly when the terrain was tussocky, rocky or just generally rough, then the combination of a midsole stiff in torsion and a very lightweight, flexible upper failed to hold the foot in position. This caused my foot to roll around a lot within the shoe as well as just flexing the upper and letting my (notably wide) feet roll over the edge of the sole. On a number of occasions this led to me deliberately falling in an effort to avoid twisting my ankle. The upper foot would perhaps be more securely held with another lace eyelet and some stiffer, or more, supporting ribs from the lace eyelets to the sole.
If you are looking for the ideal adventure racing shoe, for use on rough terrain over extended periods then I think you can do better at the moment. However, if you're looking for a fast, lightweight, shoe for use on trails, particularly in the summer, then I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Overdrive.
Available in Mens and Womens specific versions with a range of colour options.
For more details please visit: http://www.merrell.com   Page 4 of 4
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