Hardwear
Product 2018
Man
These road running shoes (and therefore also a triathlon shoe) greatly impressed our testers with the homogeneity of its top-notch services.
In the trail running category, the Ortega 2 model from the same brand already won us over.
In terms of quality the Meraki have improved even more compared to the Ortega 2.
First let’s talk about how carefully they have been made and then we’ll discuss their intrinsic qualities which they develop in the foot strike on the road.
The designers used very effective materials but they also knew how to assemble them with care and precision. You have a feeling of toughness and quality. We loved all the little details, the inserts, cosmetic touches, collages, and flowing lines of these Meraki. The ribbed heel is a piece of bravado: the design is superb. As if361 ° wanted to put all their knowledge into the Meraki, a bit like a writer who commits to a first book: he puts all of his ideas on paper.
Let’s quickly get rid of the only two points that we think should be changed: the length of the laces, which are too long and their weight, which could lose around 50g. But there again, 361° has played the durability card and so the Meraki, with their tough materials, promise to last longer (and longer stability).
So much for this long introduction to our first impressions. What really matters is how they behave when you’re running. In the process, the Meraki confirm what we already realized that they are very effective and comfortable.
As soon as you put these on they envelop your feet with precision and flexibility. How is that possible? The shoe’s shape is naturally very snug to the foot but at the metatarsals (narrow toe box) there is a flexible mesh, striated in the longitudinal direction. So it distends a little when the forefoot needs more space. You might think you are losing precision, this is not the case. But you definitely gain in comfort. The rest of the foot is well enveloped and the heel is held at the base of the shoe. There is comfortable foam padding.
The oval-shaped laces are one of the few on the market that slide through the eyelets: adjustment up to the forefoot is achieved with ease. We say bravo. These laces are very slightly stretchy, they help to limit pressure points across the instep. This is largely helped by a magnificent thin but shock absorbing tongue. As we have already said, these laces are a little too long, so a double knot is needed to use up the excess.
Last but not least, the testers really liked the quality of the sole because all it’s is overall very effective.
We immediately note the cushioning but it’s not over done, there’s just enough filtration in the heel which decreases gradually to the forefoot to promote support and recovery. Meraki makes it possible to take on the kilometers without your joints suffering too much.
They have good lateral stability, good solid foot strike no pronation or supination. The foam is reactive but never squidges down, the shoe stays in-line and unrolls for extra speed. It is not necessarily a shoe designed to go super-fast, the Meraki opted instead for a compromise between comfort and speed.
The sole meets what you would expect from a road running shoe, no more or less in terms of grip. The Meraki has a 9mm drop, 21 at the rear and 12 at the front. The toes have some protection that is beautifully integrated into the shoe.
After our long field testing with the 361 ° Meraki, we unanimously decided to award it the FIRST Award. Difficult indeed to fault its manufacturing quality and its running behavior. A very good shoe that has an excellent combination between performance and comfort.
12 mm9 mm 
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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