The Merrell All Out Crush is the child born forth of the marriage between Tough Mudder and Merrell. In November of 2015, Merrell was announced as presenting partner for the 2016 Tough Mudder season. While Merrell was previously the presenting sponsor for the Down and Dirty series, this is their first foray into a specific OCR shoe.
Merrell All Out Crush Features
Drainage Ports – Two drainage holes on each side of each shoe. Merrell are only the 2nd shoe manufacturer to put this “must have” on an OCR shoe. (Reebok has been doing it since 2012).
Great Grip – The 5mm lugs on this shoe are optimal for obstacle racing and any time on the trails. Similar deep lugs (just slightly different shape) than the Reebok ORs or Salomon Fellraiser.
Merrell All Out Crush Usage
I began running with the Merrell All Out Crush on the unfinished BeltLine near my house. As written about in previous reviews, it’s got a great mix of mud, rock, and dirt for testing. I also did the Macon Mud Run at a run/walk pace with my son. This is a true “mud run” with 4 miles of all types of various types of depth and texture of mud. The Crush’s did great in all of these environments. I especially noticed the difference at the Macon Mud Run, where other participants were falling all over themselves, the Crush’s were phenomenal.
The lugs are solid. I would compare these lugs to the depth of the Reebok All Terrain line or the Salomon Fellraiser. You will be ready for any kind of mud with these lugs.
The drainage holes are great. As I mentioned earlier in the post, this is a “must have” if you are going to put out a shoe that is specific to the OCR market. A suggestion I would make is for the holes to be more towards the front of the shoe, rather than the middle for maximum drainage.
After about 30 miles, I began to feel a hot spot in the inner part of foot just below the big toe. Merrell did send me a half size up, right away after learning this. (This may just be how my particular foot fits in the particular shoe, and you may have a different experience)
I am a huge fan of the speed laces found in the latest Reeboks and Salomons. In 2016, I see no need why any running/racing shoe would use the standard laces which can come untied during a race. The other issue with standard laces is they become difficult to untie post race when knotted with mud.
Examples of Macon Mud Run racers slipping where Merrell’s performed well.
Merrell All Out Crush Durability
The outer is made of a combination of mesh, something called TPU, and some other synthetics. TPU is a form of plastic that is relatively new to shoe development. It’s chief properties are high abrasion resistance, transparency, and high elasticity. I don’t see these wearing easily, even with high usage on rough terrain.
Merrell All Out Crush Pros and Cons
Pros
- Has water drainage holes, almost as good as Reebok All-Terrains
- Deep Lugs, great grip in mud
- Sturdy Toe Cap
Cons
- Normal lacing. I am a huge fan of the speed laces these days.
- Hot spot in the inner part of foot just below the big toe
| Merrell All Out Crush | Salomon Fellraiser | Reebok All Terrain Super OR | Reebok All Terrain Super 2.0 | |
 |  |  |  | |
| Weight | 227g | 240g | 219g | 234 g |
| Heel Drop | 6mm | 6mm | 5mm | 5mm |
| Grip | 3/16" | 3/16" | 3/16" | 3/16" |
| Metal Studs | No | No | No | No |
| Price | $100 | $100.00 | $90.00 | $100.00 |
| ORM Review | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Buy | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Merrell All Out Crush Conclusion
Prior to feeling the hot spot, I was ready to declare these the 2nd best shoe in OCR. My current favorite shoes are the Reebok OR, and these have many of the same great qualities in an OCR specific shoe. The Reebok OR gets a slight edge for a couple of reasons. First, they are lighter. Second, the drainage holes are on the front-most, bottom-most part of the shoe, rather than the middle of the shoes. I still highly recommend the Merrell All Out Crush shoes for obstacle racing.
Bonus Video : If you want to view a comparison video between the Merrell All Out Crush and the Spartan Reebok All Terrain OR shoes, watch this:
Matt B. Davis
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