Customer Reviews Merrell Trail Glove 6

You need two hands to put them onone to hold the shoe itself and one to pull the tongue towards you. It's not easy or comfortable to do. I've never owned a pair of Merrell's like this before. The Vapor Glove fit better and was much easier to put on and take off.

Looks good but is too narrow therefore fit was uncomfortable

I've had the 4s 5s and now the 6s and with each generation they get less minimalist. The 6s have a narrow toe box, way to much arch support and it honestly feels like there not even 0 drop. Merrel just keeps adding "features" that no one asked for in a barefoot shoe. I would give them 1 star except they are at least a descent lightweight trail shoe they just don't live up to the "Glove" namesake.

I read the reviews but gave them a try anyway as I had finally worn out my last pairs trail glove 4's. I stocked up as the TG4's were a near perfect shoe. Well, I should have listened. These compress you feet, have an awkward arch support, much less room for your toes to splay up front, and tough to get on and off vs. the TG4 which could be slid on and off like a glove. These are going back Merrell - please focus more on shoe functionality and less on marketing. If you were to re-release the TG4's your sales and reviews would skyrocket. Until then, I will be wearing another brand.

You're fixing something that isn't broken. I was shopping for what would be my fifth pair of Merrell's minimalist runners. I've had the Road Gloves, the Vapor Gloves and Trail Gloves. You changed the shape. The shoes are now narrower and don't have the subtle but noticeable outward bulge at the ball of the foot and just behind the base of the little toe. You didn't need to change that. You can see it in the attached pictures, old Trail Gloves on the left. You've gone from zero drop to 1 mm drop. Why change what is one of the essential parts of a minimalist shoe? The shoe now has more rocker in it, with the heel rising slightly and not touching the ground. The old design was flat. Are you trying to mimic those ridiculous designs that look like the rockers on the legs of a rocking chair? Why? When you run with a forefoot strike the heel doesn't hit the ground, and you certainly don't need to roll the foot from heel to toe as with a heel strike. So why the extra rocker? The old ones were flat and felt great. And now you've also got something going on at the arch. The whole purpose of minimalist shoes is to protect the soles of the feet while running in the barefoot style. That all as the shoes need to do. In other words, you don't need to "support" your arch because "arch support" is not a real thing. It's a made up marketing term. Anyone who has run miles in barefoot styleusing a forefoot strikeknows your arches have no direct contact with the ground. Anyone who runs with running sandals knows this too. And anyone who has run miles and miles with the old Trail Gloves, Road Gloves, and Vapor Gloves know this. I tried on your newest ones. They don't fit as good as the previous ones. Until you go back to your good design, I'll stick with my old Trail Gloves and old Vapor Gloves. I hope by the time they wear out you'll bring back your old design. All of this only matters to people who've been using minimalist runners for years. If you're new to minimalist shoes, these newer versions are still a better combination of quality and price than anything else I've seen in the U.S. My low rating is not because these are low quality or a poor value. It's because they are not as good as they used to be. Stop "improving" what was already a great shoe!

I've had these shoes and gotta say they are not the same as the trail glove 5. The new design is uncomfortable and also has terrible arches.

Out of the box I noticed rubber on both toe boxes not fully adhered but didn't think much of it. Now it's worse. I also kept tripping on something and realized the tread on the bottom is peeling. I owned previous edition of trail glove and toe box peeled the same way. Price & quality just doesn't match up. I've only done light occasional use since the purchase just over 30 days ago. Glad I haven't tried to tackle rough terrain yet because I don't think they would last- that and I would probably trip and destroy an ankle. I want these shoes in this color, I just want them to last more than a few months.

I have been wearing TGs for over 10 years and have loved themexcept for the 6. Do not like the sock-like fit. Go back to what made you successful.

Great looking shoe, but had to return because they were too narrow.

For some reason the toe box is way narrower on this version than the last. I'm not sure why the dimensions on such a popular seller were changed.

I loved the Trail Glove 4, and the Trail Glove 5 was even better. I went through two pairs, and would have kept buying them. Unfortunately you can't find them anymore. I bought one of these, and while it looks great, it is too tight in the front of my foot. I went for a walk and after a couple of miles I could feel a blister starting to form. Really disappointed with the design on this one. Please go back to the previous model!

I have purchased probably every iteration of the the trail glove and I still have most of them so I can compare them directly. I also have an early gen Vapor Glove and a Vapor Glove 6, Move Glove, which I was hoping to buy but are no longer offered. Also in the minimalist line, I have the All Out Blaze hiking and Mountain Kicks boots, which are also no longer offered. I have also worn out and discarded at least one pair of early Trail Gloves and a barefoot casual shoe that was my favorite all time shoe, but, again, no longer offered. In my opinion, to be a barefoot or minimalist shoe, there should be heel to toe flexibility and little to no arch support. While all the previous and other models fit this description, the TG 6 does not. As with other shoes with arch support, my flat feet hurt after wearing the TG 6 for not even very long. Since I am up there in years, I have always appreciated the rock plate as these work well for outdoor fitness walks. (I wear my Vapor Gloves exclusively indoors.) The TG 6 reminds me of my old stiff and clunky New Balance Crosstrainers. Not what I was after, so these will be a summer casual shoe. When my 3, 4's and 5 wear completely out, it seems I will have to look elsewhere. However, if Merrell would go back to a more barefoot/minimalist design, the 3 is my favorite, but it needs the added length of the 4, since apparently once you hit size 12, one's foot grows only in whole sizes. It would be nice to have the option to order up or down a half size across the board. The 4 is also good, but agree it needs the improved sole durability of the 5. Still miss the pull on tab of the earlier models, too.

The Trail Glove 4 was the perfect shoe for minimalist running. I went through 4 pairs of them and would continue to buy them for the rest of my life. The adjustments to pad and stiffen the sole in the 5 & 6 are huge steps in the wrong direction. Switching to alternative brands until Merrell comes to their senses.

This is a sturdy show with a potent-looking sole, featuring more tread than previous models I used (extensively): the Trail Glove 4 and the Trail Glove 5. That provides good traction and insulation from the sharp stuff. Unfortunately it seems to be continuing a trend to bolster the structure above the sole, providing more arch support ... exactly what I don't want in a Barefoot line shoe. In addition, the toe box is smaller, and that led to me getting a nice fat blood blister on my first long run (11 miles on trails). The Trail Glove 4 is still my all time favorite shoe, featuring less support and a bigger toe box. I also got a pair of the new Vapor Glove 5 shoes, which I'm thinking are probably the way to go now. The structure of those is perfect - free of structure, and the soles also seem to be getting thicker. I used to avoid using them for trails because the soles didn't seem thick enough to deal with crushed gravel, but I think it just might work. Maybe this is where Merrell has concluded that the market is going, and maybe that will all work out in the end. TBD. I'll now focus my attention on the Vapor Glove 5, take it out on the trails, and report how it goes.

Narrow. Previous versions fit terrific. But these are very Narrow

I have had all Trail Gloves from the model 2 up, and have pretty much always loved these. However I have noticed that these peaked around model 3 or 4 (dont remember which was the better one I remember), and the quality and engineering of the shoe has gone downhill from there. First of all THESE ARE NOT BAREFOOT shoes anymore. Way too stiff and supported. The last model was on the edge of not being ones but these are clearly not. Other annoyance I noticed at the beginning was that these are quite bothersome to put on, I had to loosen the laces to the max to be able to get even the oversized shoe on whilst testing. Overlall fairly comfortable shoe once on, but feels narrow and stiff in comparison to past models, doesnt feel like barefoot trailshoe should. Can't talk about durability off these shoes but the past models have been alot less durable than the ones before. The first two I had lasted for about 2 years and the ones after that only one year. The latest (model 5) didnt even make it to the one year mark before the ball of my foot went through. So im sorry to say, but this is the point where I will be jumping ship to the next brand. I will be testing the upcoming ones in hopes of improvement!

I've been through more than 20 pairs of trail gloves, from 3 to 4 to 5, and now 6. I've always worn the same size. The 5 was a little bigger but, honestly I kinda loved them, mainly for that extra toebox room. 4 was my favorite. I've worn these for thru hiking long distance trails, plenty of smaller hiking trips, and good amount of trail running as well. I read the negative reviews for the 6, was dissappointed, but needed a new pair for a desert thru hike, and figured I could count on what size I needed in these, and generally could trust these shoes for the task. Wow, I was so wrong. These shoes are terribly narrow, and seemingly shorter as well. There is some weird stiching on the inside of the foot that has been painful as well. I've developed 11 blisters in 4 days, and 100 miles of hiking. Nearly every step I've taken I've been in pain due to these shoes. They certainly aren't the same fit at the 5s. Due to where I am, I simply can't purchase new shoes before my next 100 miles, but Ill be more lucky than anything to avoid a major injury due to these things. I just want cozy barefoot shoes, why are these shoes so messed up?

Bought these a little over a month ago and have struggled with them the whole time. I've had Trail Gloves 4 and 5, and now this latest iteration. This is way worse. First, the fit is much narrower than earlier models. I would suggest going up a size. Had I known about that, I would have gone a size up, but didn't realize until I had problems after the first wear. Second, this shoe is much more rigid. It doesn't seem to have as much give as earlier models, which exacerbates the narrow feel. Finally, the road feel is terrible due to the stiffness of the sole. Perhaps that will add extra life to the shoe, but I miss the feeling.

This trail glove is the 6th best trail glove of all time. Which is excellent considering how many things are in the world. It beat out the ground squirrel which makes a terrible trail glove, although they do have a zero drop from heel to toe....unlike this trail glove. It also beat out children's calcium supplements, which do little to protect your feet on harsh trails and have a chalky after taste. This trail glove has a roomier toe box than a length of 3" PVC pipe. I would choose this trail glove as my trail running shoe of choice over nearly every all weather fence I have encountered. The lichen color is nice.

I am a trail glove fan. Trail Glove 5 was great, but the design change in TG6 makes these shoes smaller and too narrow at the toe. Unfortunately I can't ware them any more.

Not a true barefoot running shoe like the TrailGlove4. I cannot run in the TrailGlove6. They torture my feet and ankles. The newly added arch support is too hard and in wrong position for my anatomy. Heel is also too high. It hurts my feet & ankles to run in these. They are now my boat shoes. The uppers on my TG4 are mostly duct tape at this point and i still run in them when its too cold for running sandals. Merrell, please bring back the TrailGlove4. Let your customers add arch support where the customer needs it rather than where your fitting model needs it. Put the heel vack to neutral. You already offer alternatives for those who heel strike when they run.

I just got this to replace my favorite TG4. I picked size 9.5 instead of 10 as Merrell suggested. Compare to TG4, TG6 is much narrower at the toe. Hope break-in makes this softer and fits me better...but it may not last long.

What I look for in a Trail Glove: -Thick soles for roads and rocks -Durable uppers with reinforced sides that don't blow out where the shoe creases -Non-removable insoles that don't disintegrate from running after a few months - Insoles that are firm with some give, but don't compress too much like soft running shoes, to avoid material fatigue and foot discomfort I have worn Trail Glove versions 2 and 3 extensively, along with the previous version of the Bare Access from 2019. The earlier Trail Gloves (not the 5) fit perfectly in both the width and the length. The TG6 is easily 1/2 inch too long. I lined them up with my old Trail Glove 3s to be certain and I was correct. Also, I could barely get my foot into the shoe due to the narrowness of the 6. Once my foot was actually inside the shoe, I noticed that there was way too much arch 'support', which isn't what I need in a zero-drop, barefoot trail running shoe, and similarly to the 5, there was too much room in front of my toes. I'm really disappointed, because I wanted these shoes to work and I don't want to have to try and track down some old, pre-owned Trail Gloves online. Merrell designers need to return to the earlier Trail Glove 3s and deduce what it was that they did right in that version, then reimplement all of those design ideas. Merrell, if you are listening, what we runners want is essentially a remake of the Trail Glove 3, but with substantial, yet firm, longer-lasting soles (and maybe less knobby, for the road runners) and more durable uppers with side protection that won't blow out or wear out in 3 months of use (which unfortunately was my experience with the Bare Access). Hire me. I will help you make a zero-drop, road running Trail Glove that you won't have to redesign every year and that people will be buying for the next 10 years. Seriously, hire me. I'd love to work for you. You made a shoe that no one has been able to recreate, and you can do it again. Runners aren't looking for a new style every year, because we have the same, unchanging feet that we run on every year. I'm a runner and a designer and I will personally and happily road test every shoe we create.

I have a great idea for Merrell, how about you go back to what the customer wants? Make a version with arch support and make another one without an arch support like versions 4 and earlier. So disappointed in Merrell for not building a proper barefoot shoe. I have been waiting for version 6 ever since the arch supported version 5 came out, I guess version 4 will be the last great barefoot shoe that Merrell made. Time to start looking for another barefoot shoe company. Version 6 does have some good looking colors, so I guess they have that going for them and saved them from a 1 star rating.