Merrell Trail Glove Barefoot Running Shoe - Men's

I converted to natural style running about 18 months ago. I've been an avid runner for 40+ years, so it took a while for my feet, legs, and body to adjust, but it is well worth the effort. I run some miles each week barefoot just to keep form and the rest of the time I run in huarachis (Luna sandals). Living in New England and having access to some trails, I wanted some shoes that gave me some coverage. I tried several brands and have locked onto the Merrell Trail Gloves for when I want full coverage. I went up a half size because I want about 1/4-3/8 of an inch clearance at the toe. The soles are supple enough and I get very good ground feel. I don't tie laces tight, just slightly snug, and the Merrells feel very comfortable like that. They disappear on my feet after a while. The toebox is great. After my conversion my foot is slightly wider and I love he feel of having room for my toes to splay. There is no support along the sole of the shoe although there is a bit of a contour at the arch that kind of matches the contour of the foot. I feel that when I am sockless for a minute or so and then it goes away. It is not uncomfortable or irritating or distracting in any way. If you are running minimalist, you want no support. They are also great shoes for just wearing around. They look like regular running shoes, come in a variety of colors and can be worn with or without socks. If I wear socks I wear very thin ones that allow a lot of stretch. Believe me, as you convert to a more natural style you will look for shoes and footwear that let you feet move freely. You won't want tight or overly snug footwear. The Merrells hit the mark on comfort. I also discovered that the best way to convert to natural style is to go flat. Don't try shoes with any heel lift at all. Go to a zero lift shoe and take it very slow. Yes, you will want to run more miles at first, but don't. Let you legs adjust. Believe me, you will have pains in your feet and wonder if you broke something, but I discovered that goes away as your muscles develop. My website journals my transition [...] I think it is important to do some barefoot work. If, like me, you find that conditions require a bit more protection for your feet, then the Merrells are the best full shoe for minimal running that I have worn. I run trails a few times a week and they give all the support and protection I want but let me feel the surface so that I keep an smooth form and run with the earth, not on it. Between my sandals and Merrells I am a happy runner. I would recommend these to any runner looking for a good minimalist shoe.

I have never worn "barefoot" style running shoes before. I am a "veteran" of several Tough Mudders and other mud runs and so have typically used a rugged trail running shoe as I need that shank in the sole for rocks, roots and the like. However, I was interested in mixing up my running style and did some research on forefront running and decided to take the plunge. General Fit/Comfort: First off, the shoes are very comfortable and I thought pretty true to size. They look good and I receive many compliments on them. I also like that your toes have more "freedom" as opposed to the Five Fingers. The lacing system gives you a snug but not "air tight" fit. I did a short 10k mud run with these and had many rocks make their way into the shoes. I would not use them for that purpose again. Last, I did end up washing/drying them after the mud run, and found that the shoes shrunk up a bit (or at least appeared to) and the toe box now curves upward somewhat. I recommend air drying for these shoes to avoid that outcome (assuming that was the cause). Walking: For walking they are super light and once you get used to the thinness of the sole, you start to enjoy the feel of them. If you were walking around a city all day, I might not recommend them for that purpose right away if you are used more cushioned shoes. Again, don't expect much protection from the elements however. For that reason, I recommend no socks and a liberal use of foot powder. I have not had any "issues" with this approach. Running: Here is where you really have to be committed or else you will just end up with a cool-looking pair of walking shoes. Due to the thin Vibram sole (both in thickness and overall profile), you have to engage forefoot running. I am not an expert, but you can look around on the web and get plenty of pointers. Still, landing on your heel in these things, especially on pavement, will lead to problems. At the same time, you can't land strictly on the ball of your foot or you can expect some extensor tendonitis (ask me how I know). You have to achieve that soft-padding stride which allows you to absorb impact softly. This means your calves will be working on overdrive. You may find after your first couple of runs (if you haven't done this before) that you can't walk properly due to the pain in your calves. I had conditioned myself by running in this style with normal running shoes and I still had to acclimate. Anyway, my point is that if you use proper technique, you will love the shoes. If you don't, you will find them painful and question why you spent the money. Last, the sole, while ridged and well constructed, does not equate to a normal pair of running shoes, much less a trail runner, in terms of grip and shock absorption. Durability: I am about 5 months in and no problems. I don't wear them every day, but they've been through all types of conditions and have held up very well, with normal wear and tear issues. Overall: Great, well-designed and built shoe for its purpose. If you just want a light, comfortable, "barely there" shoe for general purposes, you can't go wrong. If you want to run in them, just consider my thoughts above.

Schaut echt gut aus und passt hervorragend, schöne farbe, gute quallität der verarbeitung,und ist bequem.gutes Profil Schnelle Lieferung,Preis ist voll in ordnung.

Den Trail Glove nutze ich nicht zum Sport, sondern als Alltagsschuh für Zwischendurch. Der Schuh ist extrem leicht, wiegt gerade einmal 230g und sitzt perfekt. Die Sohle ist mit 5mm dünn genug um die Textur des Untergrundes zu spüren, ohne jedoch jedes Steinchen oder jede Kante unangenehm zu fühlen. Im Ballenbereich ist die Sohle um einen Millimeter erhöht, was beim Abrollen ungewohnt ist, aber nicht stört. Der Zehenraum ist sehr weiträumig und bietet im Vergleich zu anderen Schuhen sehr viel Platz, was sich vorerst ungewohnt anfühlt, aber ich mit der Zeit sehr zu schätzen gelernt habe. Da gibt es kein Drücken, kein Scheuern, und der Schuh sitzt dennoch nicht lose. Die Ferse sitzt wie eingegossen, hier ist der Schuh in der Tat wie ein Handschuh. Beim Hineinsehen in den Schuh fällt schon auf, dass die Sohle leicht konkav ist und mit den Seiten gut vernäht ist, sodass sich selbst die Sohle an die Form der Fersenunterseite genau anpasst. Der Schuh rutscht beim Laufen durch die genaue Passform nicht von der Ferse herunter, sodass es keine Scheuerstellen gibt. Die Schnürung gewährt einen über den gesamten Fußrücken hinweg festen Halt, und der Oberstoff ist angenehm luftdurchlässig, sodass man keine Schweißfüße bekommt. Im Sohlen- und Fersenbereich zeigt ich beim längeren Tragen jedoch die Luftundurchlässigkeit durch feuchte Stellen an den Socken, sofern man sie denn trägt. Das An- und Ausziehen ist kinderleicht, da der Schuh trotz seiner genauen Passform durch die Schnürriemen gut zu öffnen und zu weiten ist. Ich bin begeistert und habe mir direkt ein zweites Paar bestellt. Ich muss aber dazu sagen, dass ich mit Barfußschuhen keine Erfahrung habe und den Schuh somit nicht qualitativ vergleichen kann, das subjektive Empfinden für den Schuh aber durchweg positiv ist. Lediglich im Winter bietet die Sohle nur geringen Kälteschutz bei wenig Laufaktivität.

these are brilliant, although they claim they provide a barefoot experiance there is still suffucient cusioning to provide comfort. the soles are increadibly grippy and feel sturdy at the same time, being flexable and lightweight. they feel so much more natural than the tradational running shoe and are far more versatile, ive used them for cycling and climbing and they are brilliant. they give you information about the ground you are running on so you can really tune into your enviroment. most importantly, the plantar faciatis i experianced with traditional running shoes appears to be easing up with these, partly due to the fact that they force you do develope a propper running technique and not rely on an inch of shock absorbing rubber tradiotional running shoes have.

Amazing fit and an awesome shoe. If your pretty confused from the various other brands out in the market, I can completely vouch for these amazing pair of shoes that provides excellent feedback to your sole and legs. These shoes are deadly flexible and you can even fold these into a roll lol. Amazing sole by Vibram and they provide perfect grip and traction. So what are you waiting for.. Order them and feel the difference :)

Era justamente lo que estaba buscando, mis primeras zapatillas para iniciarme en el barefoot, y estas lo son. Llevo 2 meses de transición y, hay que decirlo, con una buena planificación y cierta prudencia, aqui sigo sin molestias presentes. Por ahora van perfectas, se adaptan a tu pie a la vez que respetan el espacio que tus metatarsos precisan a la hora de entrar en contacto con la superficie. Lo único son las molestias debido a la fina suela minimalista que hasta que no te hagas a las zapatillas vas a sentir las pequeñas piedras sueltas. Pero para mí perfectas.