Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

Bought these as an alternative to the Vibram FF's. I never really took to the attention the vff's received and wanted a minimalist shoe that could give me the same benefits of the VFF without the toes. This shoe delivers in spades. It's overall feel is about the same as the VFF trek, but with slightly more rock protection in the sole and the toes. The "groundfeel" purists will probably be unhappy with the trail glove, but for me it gives me that little extra confidence on the rockier trails. It was also easier for me to keep my form when running on downhills. Some have said the toebox looks too narrow, however I usually where a EE and my toes have plenty of "splay" room. This will be my go to running shoe from now on.

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

Longtime barefoot road runner, hoped to use these for better traction and some measure of rock protection on trails. These shoes have a tall and fairly wide toebox, but are very narrow in the midfoot, so much so that they become unwearable for any distance over 5 miles. Had I bought these shoes 5 years ago they probably would have fit fine, but over time I've developed significantly higher arches and a much meatier midfoot with all the barefoot running. Considering that the barefoot/minimalist running community is Merrell's target market for this, I think the choice of last shape for this shoe is a bit odd...
These shoes held a lot more water and took a lot longer to dry out after stream crossings then other trail shoes I own. The tread design is acceptable for rocky and hardpack trails, but isn't well suited for wet grass, muddy conditions, exceptionally loose or sandy soils, etc. For all of the above reasons I ended up returning mine.
To be fair, people with narrower feet and/or not-too-high arches, who intend to use these in a more laid back setting, (running roads and groomed trails, crosstraining, etc) will probably be very happy with these shoes.
If you plan on ordering these online, note that they seem to run about 1/2 size large.

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

I did a 10-mile trail run in Penasquitos Canyon (San Diego) on 2/19/2011 wearing these shoes. It had been raining hard all night, and the trail was very wet and muddy.

Normally I do 7 miles of the same trail in my Vibram Five Fingers Treksports. But the added protection of these shoes allowed me to go a full 10 miles.

They are a great minimalist shoe. My only complaint is that they might offer too much protection. Five miles into my run, I tried to cross the river down by Wagon Wheel Crossing. But the water was too deep (the bridge was washed out). I kept the shoes on and was wading in the over-flowing river in water that was mid-thigh deep, and it became obvious that to get across I'd have to swim. I'm not that hard-core. So I had to run back the way I had come down. I tell you this because it means that my shoes were totally soaked with muddy water. Yet, I ran the remaining five miles with no problems, no blisters, and no hot spots. My feet were tired and somewhat sore -- but this was a factor of minimal protection from rocks and the trail -- and not because of the way the shoes wore on my feet.

If you are new to minimalist running, this shoe is a great option. If you have been doing it for awhile, you might want to use the Vibram Five Fingers. I'm using both.

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

After almost three years of "barefoot" trailrunning, hiking, training, and trekking, I turned in my latest trial of Vibram FiveFinger Treksports, as they had blown out on me yet again when I turned to more aggressive trails, and tried a different product. So after a CrossFit routine and a 6 mile trailrun, here is my preliminary "Who-gives-a-crud-Jeff-you-are-dumb" evaluation:

When I first tried on the Merrills, I didn't like them at all. They have a huge toebox, which at first felt entirely too sloppy and I feared would lead to discomfort as the shoe broke in and the runs increased in length, difficulty, and frequency. However, as so many times before, I turned out to be wrong. The "zero drop" sole provides an almost imperceptible difference in midfoot strike, still requiring active recruitment of the plantar surface, gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, and soleus on a level unlike traditional running shoes. The active midfoot strike also relieves knee and spine wear and tear due to the heelstirke encouraged by traditional running shoe soles. The very slight increase in thickness of the sole does decrease ground feel, but adds just enough protection to reduce impact fatigue and injury from roots and large rocks which, of course, becomes multiplicative as the run lengthens and the trail becomes more difficult. The greater surface area of the toebox adds to traction as well as the afore mentioned protection, but still leaves to toes free to flex and move, just not quite as much as the FiveFingers. The upper provides an increase in durability, as well as ample prevention of dirt and rocks from entering the shoe. So, while I will still use my FiveFingers for all things CrossFit, balance/proprioception, and light hiking, the Merrils will be my go-to shoe for anything more aggressive and outdoors.

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

I've been running barefoot and in Vibrams (Bikila), on pavement and trails, for 9 months. The Bikila is, to me, the ultimate running shoe due to its lightness, comfort, and balance of padding and ground feel. I bought the Merrells to have a running shoe that would stand up to rougher terrain and not look so goofy when I go for coffee.

I have wide, flat-ish feet. I have developed a good forefoot strike, and I'm a little heavy for my height. The Trail Glove is an excellent shoe.

Pros: No elevation between forefoot and heel, flexible throughout, excellent tongue construction (it doesn't move around at all), minimal seams (comfortable without socks), superlight.

Cons: Slightly narrow in the midfoot and heel, though the lateral support is arguably a plus but makes this shoe NOT for barefoot purists.

If you're already a minimalist runner and these fit you, they could be your go-to runners. If you're thinking about going minimal and want robust yet light shoe, these would be great, though keep your mileage low until you build up those muscles and get your stride down right. Because of the fit, I highly recommend that you buy these shoes in-store where you can try them on.

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

I have had these for about 3 weeks. I use them for all of my crossfit workouts. I definitely will not go back to wearing any other shoes for my workouts. The traction and feel are great for everything that I do. If you are thinking about getting these as an alternative to the VFFs go for it.

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

This is a great shoe! For people complaining about them being too narrow: I'm not sure what you are complaining about! The toe box is far from narrow, and if you loosen up the laces, the middle section molds nicely around your foot. My only complaint is I nearly always wear a size 9 mens, and I had to send these back and get an 8.5. To give you some perspective on how wide my foot is, my little size 8.5 is wider than my Dad's size 12 foot. Just loosen up the laces and break them in a bit and you should be good to go. I made the transition to "barefoot" with VFF about a year ago. I love the VFF but I am a sweaty guy. Those get nasty hot and soaked with sweat. Also I was battling with plantar warts and they fit SO WELL that I couldn't even wear the Injinji socks to help protect my feet. These have been the perfect alternative for me. They have allowed me to wear socks, they are more breathable, and provide more protection but nearly as much feel as I got from the VFF. A must buy for any "minimalist".

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

The most common recommendation you'll see for these is trail running. I am not a trail runner, but I do lots of plyometrics and cardio activities.
I had tried the FF on in the past, and they are just too hot for me. While these shoes can get a little warm, not having your toes constricted gives more breathability...not to mention the mesh on the top is a little more breathable than FF.
These were not very comfortable out of the box. But, after wearing them 5 times in the last week and sweating in them, they are starting to feel really nice on my feet.
Don't buy these for support; they're not intended for that. Rather, they give your feet protection while allowing the same benefits as barefoot exercise...hence the name.
I, too, have read that the toe box is too narrow. I have no idea who is making that complaint as I have really wide feet and have plenty of room in the toe box. They are narrow in the middle of the foot, because they don't come in a wide width. But, that isn't really an issue considering their intended use.

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

I really don't get how these shoes are working for so many people. I have thin feet, and I had read a number of reviews that commented on these shoes being too tight, but I didn't think that would apply to me. I already own some five finger shoes and absolutely love them so my assumption was that I would love these as well. Simply put they are too narrow towards the front, before getting to the toes, regardless of how I lace them, or don't. It doesn't make it unbearable for me but due to it I wouldn't call these shoes comfortable. I recognize that by design these shoes are meant to fit snug, but this is an issue of tightness in one area that goes well beyond fitting snugly. I am hoping that with time I can break them in and change this. The other issue is that I was planning on wearing them without socks, but the stitching isn't smooth enough for my comfort and it quickly becomes irritable so it's socks for me. On the plus side they breath much better than my KSO Treks do and I love the thin nature of the soles. I would urge people to try them before buying them. Most people seem to happy with them, but there are a enough people that have the same issues that I do with them that I think it would be in your best interest to go to your local REI and try them on first.

Comments about Merrell Trail Glove Cross-Training Shoes - Men's:

I love these. They are so comfortable. I was going to try and wait for the NB minimus trail shoes to come out, but after trying these on I had to have them. As far as running in them goes I've ran on both trails and paved paths, and they can be used for both. I will say that I do like the feel a little better on trails. These have a similar feel to the VFF, but I think are a lot more comfortable. I'd highly recommend them to anyone looking for a light weight minimal shoe.