They are stiffer than the Nova 3 for sure. The sole is a little bit harder than the Nova 3 too. Only time will tell how the wear is compared to the Nova 3. With those I get just over a year doing about 20 miles a week dedicated walking, I used those as my all use shoe as well as my walking shoe. So you do the math. I like the look of these. It would be nice if the Vibram label on the sole wasn't bright yellow. It just looks stupid. I really like how Merrell shoes in general are just a little bit wider. So unless you have Flinstone feet you don't need to buy wides. And for those of us with kinda wide feet, your not stuck in an awkward place of to tight or to loose.
