Nova 3

Fashion & Footwear › Hiking Shoes

Nova 3

Lightweight hiking shoes

Merrell logoby Merrellbrand #1 in Hiking Shoes
Street price~$39.98as of Jul 15?
Price tier

Budget · bottom third of hiking shoes

Should you buy it??

ReconsiderCheckTrust it

Too early to call

One source so far — no reviewer, buyer or press cross-check yet.

Quick take

In short: what each side says

Buyers — each opened up in full further down ↓

Buyers4.3176 ratings

Owners love the comfort, support, and versatile design for trail and casual wear, but durability concerns emerge with some reporting premature wear compared to the Nova 2 predecessor.

Behind this verdict176 owners~3 hrs of research 2 min to read

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01

The verdict

What the panel makes of it.

The Merrell Nova 3 is a hiking shoe made by Merrell. Released in 2023, designed in the United States. It weighs 10.1 ounces per shoe for men's sizes. The shoe uses Merrell's Vibram outsole and FlyteFoam midsole technology. Hikers and trail runners buy it. They need lightweight support without sacrificing grip or durability. AI assistants currently rank it number fourteen for best lightweight hiking shoes.

Act one

What the machines think.

Several AI models read the category and place this product — model by model, list by list, over time.

02

Rank trajectory?

Weeks of movement.

#7#17#27#305/115/256/87/6

Act two · ★ new

What the people say.

The same product, judged by the owners who bought and filmed it — what they praise, what they knock, who it's for.

03

What buyers say?

What Google knows about it.

Buyer reviews · Google Shopping?

Beyond the video critics, Google pools 176 buyer ratings of the Nova 3 from across retailers — a far wider, if blunter, jury. Here’s the shape of that opinion.

4.3 / 5

176 ratings · 7 written
across 2 retailers

Buyers trust it
565%
416%
36%
26%
17%

What owners single out

Comfort & support4.8
Traction & grip4.7
Durability3.5
Fit & sizing4.3
Design & aesthetics4.6

In their words

Ive had them six months and they are my favorite running shoes. I run 60% trail and 40% blacktop. Very comfortable. I run between 3.5 miles to 10 miles 2-3 times a week. I rotate shoes. If I had only one pair, these are the ones I would choose. Perfect for casual wear also. The cushion is the best 5/5. Grip is 5/5. Toebox 5/5. Style 5/5. Durability 5/5. Materials 5/5.

Merrell is under rated · verified purchase · merrell.com

Bought these because I loved the Nova 2 pair I wore for a very long time. The nova 3’s barely last me a year before they looked almost as bad as my nova 2’s after 3 years. Quite disappointed since I use these as everyday shoes. My nova 2’s were super comfortable

Ben H · verified purchase · merrell.com

as of July 15 · 176 buyer ratings?

04

The recap

Where it stands today.

  • MakerBy Merrell — see how it ranks across other intents on its brand profile.