Customer Reviews Merrell Deleted

Wow! What a great minimalist trail shoe! I've been running in Vibram Five Fingers for almost 2 years and have been looking for something that would give me that little something more for the intense trail running I've incorporated into my training. This shoe does it. The toe box is huge. I can splay my toes and fold them on top of each other. It offers no heel to toe drop and feels true to "barefoot" form when running in it. It provides just the right amount of protection for rocks and buried roots you'll hit on the trails and the traction is amazing through water, snow, and ice. The shoe is extremely light yet the laces offer a nice snug feel around the meat of your foot. It's very airy and I have taken them (no socks) through streams and find they dry faster than any shoe I've used in the past, limiting the chances of moisture slippage leading to blisters. I read many things about difficulty in sizing, but I didn't have any issues. I typically wear a 10.5 and that's what I ordered for this shoe and fit is perfect. For VFF wearer's, I wear a 42 in VFF's and the 10.5 trail glove fits like a charm. I'll continue to endorse this shoe as I feel it's the best minimalist trail shoe on the market today!

These are just awesome. My first experience "barefoot" running and I'm really excited about it. Really changes the way you run -- my calves are killing me. Feet feel great, however. You can rock these sans socks. The fit is just perfect -- nice and roomy toe box as everyone says. I have no idea what the vibram five fingers are like so I can't compare them. I will say that I ran half on road, half off road this evening and I did find these to be a bit slick on wet grass and dirt -- nowhere near the grip of my Salomon pro 3ds which are what I use for trails. I don't think I would do more than a few miles of tough trail in these, mainly because I prefer the grip and stability of my Salomons. But these really are an amazing product. Seem super well made and they are comfy right out of box. Pull the trigger on these asap. You won't look foolish like you will with the five fingers.

I bought these because I can't wear 5 fingers in uniform. These are great. I read several reviews from magazines about these. These are as closet to bare footing as you can get with a full shoe on. I have a couple of Puma models that are very thin but are not as good as these. These are plenty wide in the toe. There is just enough padding in the sole to allow me to run on gravel without pain but I can still feel the ground. They are very light and the lacing system is awesome. These things snug up to your foot like a sock without feeling tight. They are listed as D width but in the toe box they are like extra wide. I have wide feet and these are plenty wide in the toe box. The sole has incredible traction considering how thin it is. These would be the best shoe I can recommend to someone looking to transition to Five fingers or all natural.

These were my first barefoot shoe. I usually wear Nike Free+. I am more than happy with the Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove. I do lots of weight training with some running. My training last night was the first time wearing the trail glove and I had a great workout! I trained legs so the barefoot feel was a much better feeling than wearing cushioned shoes. Also, I am flat footed and the shoe didn't bother me one bit! I would most definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to try something different whether you run 10 miles a day or 2, they feel and look great! Thanks Zappos!

I am so pleased with these shoes. Awesome, wide toe box. They weigh nothing. I can feel the ground really well. No need for socks. If you like being barefoot, but need some protection. These shoes are for you. A+.

Love the feel and my runs have been excellent! Going to do a 5K in them this morning. I did order my normal size but had to return and get a 1/2 size smaller. Ran with socks first time, but barefoot is much better. Can't say enough about the shoe!

The Merrell Trail Gloves are everything my Five Fingers aren't and more! I always felt the FF constricted the splaying of the toes. The toe box in the barefoot shoe is huge, so the toes can spread out as they wish without fighting the shoe. The sole seems a bit thicker, which for me is a good thing. You don't have less feel for the ground, but the treads on the Barefoot give it a more comfortable ride. The interior is a little more comfortable for sockless wear. The lacing system is innovative and allows you to snug the shoes up nicely. I love the Trail Gloves.

My second toe is longer than my big toe and looks like a middle finger when I try to slip on Five Fingers or any other toe shoe. Personally I have no issues with VFFs, I just can't wear 'em. And I'm not bummed, because this shoe is as good as it gets. Vibram sole, extremely light, durable. In terms of minimalist running they are in every as remarkable as VFFs but without the hassle of your weird pinky toe or buying toe socks. A little pricey compared to other brands, but so far been worth it. I had been wearing (and loving) Merrell's hiking products around bad guy country for awhile so when it came time to replace my New Balance MT101 RX trail shoes (which were also impressive). I went out on a limb and bought these while on deployment. They lasted running around the perimeter on crappy gravel and still show no signs of bad seams. Thanks to these my legs are still in great shape. Now, buyer beware: Bad experiences come from incorrect use. Go a half size up if you got large feet like me, the extra toe room is nice for the proper Pose running technique. Don't run heel-to-toe in these! This sole in particular feels best landing on the ball. After 3 pairs of minimal shoes I grew used to the Trail Glove's 0mm toe to heel drop, as opposed to a 4mm seen in Saucony or some NB. If starting in these, start short distance, otherwise you'll just end up writing a bad review on here. Feeling tight on width is normal out of the box; trust me, the mesh stretches and will form to your foot. Dare I say like a glove? Go too wide and they'll grow to be too loose and floppy. Running on pavement is rough on the joints; definitely a trail shoe even though I wish they had a rock stop like in the NB 101s to protect the balls of feet. Run on rocks/gravel or even cross a rocky riverbed and you'll notice it, especially if your heel hits rock since this shoe is thinnest from mid-arch to the heel. Just a heads up! Anyways, its overall a great shoe for running dirt or forest trails, heck even CrossFit! Did I mention these are my favorite CF / weightlifting shoes too? I am very pleased and will buy em again, but will still need a road worthy minimal shoe for 10Ks, Minis, etc like the Road Glove, Brooks, or re-buy the NB MT101s because (not surprisingly for any trail shoe) these shoes do fall short in that area.

I am a large person, and I do not run. I bought these shoes to try something new, as I was used to wearing very squishy running shoes that were doing nothing good for my old ankle injuries (both ankles). These shoes are very comfortable for me, and I feel like I my feet are doing more work in them than standard sneakers, which is what I am after. Walking in these shoes feels very good. The durability is pretty good (I have one loose rivet, and the insides of the shoes show wear). I have worn them in the mud and machine-washed them without any issues. Putting on and taking off takes getting used to, but now I know how to do it (I have to unlace quite a bit to get them off easily). The Vibram soles are thin but tough (I can feel sharp rocks sometimes). I wear size 12 in sandals but size 10½ in the Trail Glove. I recommend them if you have old ankle injuries and would like to let your feet work more.

When it comes to anything that I buy, I like to look at reviews. This happened to be the top rated for "minimalist" or "barefoot" running/crossfit. The only only problem that I have is that there is actual arch support. For people with natural arches, you may not feel this, but for someone who has flat feet (me!), they are very noticeable. The toe box is nice and wide, so my toes can definitely spread. With the type of shoe that I'm looking for, you want the shoe to be as flat as possible. I was really excited about this shoe and I really wanted to like it, but because of the arch support, I'm going to have to look for another shoe. Bummer!

The expert description of these shoes are dead-on. I ordered a size larger than I normally would have first, ignoring the expert writeup and listening to the user reviews. I was very disappointed when they arrived and were much too large. To their credit Zappos credited me the large shoes and I ordered the correct pair and had them on my feet within days! It was all very easy with the return and credit I am very pleased.

This shoe does exactly what it claims to do. Great toe box allows free movement on your footfall. Soles are both sensitive and secure. Running with confidence through the streets of NY. Huge conditioning curve, however, with a change of form. Start small and slowly. Calves will need some adjustment. 2 weeks at least.

Very different than the shoes I normally wear but I figured I would give them a try. First thing I noticed is that while the rest of the shoe really feel like a gloves the toe box is pretty big. Not sure if this will be an issue yet. The length seems about right for size but I'll see how they feel after awhile. Also because the soles are so thin if you're wearing pants you have to either wear them up higher or cuff 'em to keep from dragging on the ground. Not a big deal but something to be aware of. Probably won't be an issue since these are meant more for running and shorts.

Pros: front half of foot is very comfortable back half of foot is very comfortable Cons: The middle bit Probably due to the extra space these shoes provide your toes, the middle section of these shoes is quite tight and presses on the bottom of my foot. Combined with the ultra-flexibility of the shoe (which is great, normally), the arch-area gets jabbed weirdly. Be careful about sizing, as I found that if you try on one size too big (10.5 vs 10 for me) you can feel the massive lugs in the front of the foot, and they feel weird. Oh, and they look like clown shoes.

These shoes truly fit like a glove. They don't want to come off easily. They feel great. My only negatives are the arches seemed slightly too high and when running on a road with some med size rocks you can feel them through the sole almost like you're barefoot near midfoot.

There are pros and cons to this sneaker. As for the pros, it's super light and the flexibility is outstanding. I love these sneakers and purchased a second one for training. I race in mud racing events, such as Spartan, Warrior Dash, etc. The grip is amazing no matter what type of outdoor condition it is. The cons are that the laces are garbage. I highly recommend replacing it with a quick release lace, which cost next to nothing. Also, the back part of the sneaker that wraps around your ankle is not snug. This could easily create pebbles getting inside your sneaker. In conclusion, this sneaker is incredible and would highly recommend them.

One of the problems that was noted on the rating below was that this shoe is that it has no arch support. That is not necessarily a negative thing.

So far so good. I have been running with Five Finger Bikilas for about six months on road surfaces and am transitioning to trails. I knew the Bikilas were not designed for that and the Blog reviews of these looked good. I went with these over the KSOs due to the ability to adjust the fit with laces, a feature I assumed I would need on trails. I wore them on a treadmill for a short break in test and there were no pinch points or rubbing. Ran the Brooklyn Bridge the next day with same result. Additionally noticed how easy it was to keep a mid-foot strike with these shoes. I have been on two trail runs since, over quite rocky terrain with good results. Great traction and good fit. Very impressed with these shoes and I will be wearing them in the Spartan Race June 4 in Tuxedo, NY.

Zappos, as always was fantastic. I ordered the wrong size shoes and they exchanged it within two days at no cost (mailing) to me. Wow! The shoes are great trail runners. I like the minimalist concept and have been looking for the right shoes. These are one of the best. The only draw back I had is that they have a very thin lining which stays wet longer than the all mesh shoes I have also tried after you splash through a puddle or two.

I currently use this shoe for walking around. It is designed for trail running, but can be used for light hikes. I currently were a 2E width, but after reading reviews about these shoes from a minimalist runner's blog, he said D width is fine because he too wears 2E width. I would definitely get a half size smaller than your normal shoe size.

I'm not sure if it's fair to compare these to Vibram FiveFingers since they're two totally different shoes, but I've seen the Trail Glove recommended several times as an alternative to VFF's and that's what I bought them for. They do have a nice secure fit in the heel and midfoot and the toe box is wide and roomy. The Vibram outsole is the usual great quality and provides a little bit of ground feel, though nothing near that of the VFF's. They also provide the best fit when worn without socks; however, parts of the lining feels a little rough and there are a few seams that rub very slightly, so only 4 stars for comfort. Overall, they're a great shoe when used for they're intended trail running purpose, and will probably out-perform VFF's in some cases. Don't get me wrong, the Trail Glove is an excellent shoe, but since I'm comparing to VFF's today, I have to say they're still a notch or two below on the comfort scale. If you like this kind of shoe, you might also check out the new Altra Adam (not out at the time of this writing, but due soon).

I have owned Vibram Five Fingers since they were first released way back in the day, but recently began to look for a pair of true barefoot trail sure to compliment my barefoot footwear collection. After testing a few out, I settled on the Merrell Trail Glove and I am glad I did. So far, the quality seems great. The shoe is well constructed and provides a great barefoot feeling out on the trail. It is nice to have all of the toes enclosed sometimes, esp running or hiking on unfamiliar terrain (think broken toes). The heel is slim and glove like, while there is a bit more space in the toe box for allowing the toes to move about when hiking/running.

The toe box is gigantic! Should've stuck with the NB Minimus (MT20) that these were supposed to replace. Wouldn't buy these again.

The upper was very light. But for allegedly barefoot shoes. There was actually a molded arch. Which my dad found uncomfortable. A truly flat sole and these would have been terrific shoes.

My parents bought these for me for Christmas. I had just bought the New Balanace Minimus. I kept them both. If you are in the market for a minimalist shoe (which I assume you are since you are looking at this one) get a pair of the New Balance shoes. I have found the Merrell shoes to be much stiffer and awkward feeling. Also, I do not have a very wide foot, but not a narrow one either, but these shoes feel far to tight around the middle of my foot. They become quite uncomfortable after only wearing them for a short time.