Customer Reviews Merrell Vapor Glove 4

I loved the vapor glove 2 what an amazing shoe. The 4 is great but the sole and the material of the 2 will always be my standard I look for. Nonetheless I am very happy.

I own 3 pairs of Vapor Glove 3 and love them and wear them for everything. So far the Vapor Glove 4 seem much different over all. Complaint: For the frontmost outside eyelet on both shoes, the inside part of the little strap was left too long and was rubbing on my foot (right shoe was worse than the left). I trimmed them myself and they seem fine now. I never had such an issue with Vapor Glove 3 or Vapor Glove 2. Would be 4 stars without the eyelet issue.

I bought this shoe after having received an identical pair as a gift over a year ago. I was pleased with the feel of the shoe and frequently used it for running and for walking, and over time I wore a hold in the sole of the foot. Unfortunately, the very first day I used the new shoes for running - on a combination of asphalt, dirt path, wood bridge and concrete surfaces, as I'm an outdoor exerciser - the tread of the soles was visibly eroded. And now, I'm reluctant to use them for outdoor exercise because I don't want them to wear down again immediately. These shoes are adequate if you walk or run on a softer, smoother surface like a treadmill, indoor track, or pressed dirt track, or to wear while strength training indoors, but if you're an outdoor runner / walker, I would purchase something with a more solid tread in the sole that doesn't show wear and tear immediately.

Despite the fact that many who are interested in minimalist, barefoot-style and zero drop shoes are also super keen on wide toe boxes to allow for natural toe splay, Merrell has decided to make the Vapor Glove narrower this time around. I still own a pair of the Vapor Glove 3, and it is noticeably wider. It fits comfortably. The VG 4 does not. On top of this, Merrell doesn't offer the wide width options for as many shoes as they once did. You sadly can't get the Vapor Glove 4 in a wide width, and the regular width is ridiculously narrow for a barefoot-style shoe. Another issue with this version of the Vapor Glove is that the tongue on the inside is not made of the same soft material that was used for the inside of the tongue on the Vapor Glove 3, and the tongue on the VG 4 is also not as seamlessly tethered to the top of the inside of the shoe. This results in irritation of the top of the foot, around the big toe joint (at least for me -- and I suspect others will encounter the same issue because of the poor design). The shoes are otherwise OK, which is why I'm rating it 2 stars instead of 1. I like how the shoes provide just enough protection from the elements without sacrificing any of the barefoot-style flexibility. But Merrell got that right with the VG 3. The VG 4 is a regression for the reasons outlined above.

I wear these at work while standing. Definitely not breathable. By the end of the day my feet are unhappy because of the moist environment. My feet run a bit on the hot side to be sure. Otherwise the shoes are running a half size too large.

Bought one pair and they wore out before 100 miles. Second pair is sitting around 160 right now, and the same wear is happening. They won't last another hundred miles. I'm done with Merrell at this point. Products are just cheap trash now.

I got a pair of the Vapor Glove 4 to continue my minimalist running adventure. One I got the right size (0.5 size larger than expected) the fit was perfect. The shoe was light and well made. I ventured out for a test run and got disappointed after a few miles. It turned out that the ventilation in the shoe is very limited. The top part of a shoe is made of a material that doesn't breathe and my feet get wet very quickly. This is pretty disappointing for a sport shoe. I hope this is fixed in the future.

I owned a pair of Vapor Glove 3s and loved them, wore them out. Ordered a pair of VG4s in the same size and they just don't fit the same. The toe box is not as wide, and it's just a little bit shorter in my size. The front of my toes rubbed the front in such a way that they were producing blisters. If you are a fan of the VG3, make sure you try these on in a store before ordering.

I wish this shoe came in a wide size (W). If it did, I would have bought my standard size--a 12. I had to buy a 13 in order to get it on my wide foot. That means there's about 1 to 1-1/2 inches too much shoe at the toe. It's okay, though, for my expectations. I bought these for bike-riding shoes. I found that this shoe was so comfortable that I would have bought a 12 W (if they made the size) for a shoe that I could wear every day. These shoes are very comfortable, but the fit is not a good one for anything other than bike-riding. Walking is awkward because of the extended length. If only Merrell would get on the stick and make their whole range of shoes in a wider width.

The foot bed is narrower than the prior model (Vapor Glove 3) and the tread isn't as durable. I'm scrambling to stock up on the 3s...

This was my 3rd pair but but for some reason the size I usually get was much bigger. Attempted to size down but then they were too small. Too bad. These were the best shoes I'd ever owned. Keep the sizes consistent as I was forced into another brand.

I have been running for 6 years now. Started it with bare access 2 then moved to the vapors, 1,2,3 now 4. I think I have gone through about 25 pairs. I am 6 foot 170lbs and run about 60 miles a month. I have averaged about 100miles till the vapors wear out and get a hole in the sole. I run only asphalt roads so it is a rough surface. These 4's are very comfortable but seems this new tread pattern is wearing much faster. My new pair of 4's now have a holes in the sole only after 35 miles. I really wish they would last longer.

These were not what I thought. More of an all terrain water shoe. I tried them on and that was it. Back in the box and sent back. Not what I wanted as a show at this time.

Ordered a size 11 as both my Merrell boots and Trail Glove 4's are 11 and fit perfectly. The Vapor Glove 4 size 11 is a little bit too big which can be fixed by fastening the laces a bit tighter than normal which makes them less comfortable. I was hoping for the sock like fit of the Trail Glove 4 with a more minimalist design but that's not what this is. On top of that the seam is coming undone at the toe (check the picture) and I've only had them for a week. That's a 5k walk once a day for a week on a dirt path. So I doubt these shoes would hold up for more than a couple months with every day use on any sort of trail. Although I dislike the Trail Glove 5, I would recommend that for a barefoot running/everday use shoe over this one.

Been happy with the VG2 and 3. My 3s lasted almost 600 miles before a hole appeared in the sole. Just got these VG 4s a few weeks ago and there's a hole in both soles with less than 60 miles on the shoe. Very disappointed.