MerrellMen's Trail Glove 6 Sneaker

I liked the Merrill’s Vapor Gloves for the three months I used them; however, after a month or so of use, I’ve confirmed that their Trail Gloves provide me with the support and cushioning I need to avoid injury. Although I have a high arch, the Trail Glove arch support is prominent—if you have flatter arches, I would be wary. After wearing the Vapor Gloves for three months, the Trail Glove’s arch was noticeably present each time I put the shoes on (after several minutes in the shoe, the arch feels normal and I forget about it). I wear an 11.5 and ordered the Trail Gloves in that size, even though some have said that they run large, which may be the case, since I do have plenty of room in front of my big toe, and the arch support seems to make contact with my foot more toward the front of my arch than the middle. Using the innovative lacing system, I’ve discovered that I can dial in a closer fit for the Trail Glove’s uppers vs. the Vapor Glove’s. The section over the big toe on the Trails is less rigid than that on the Vapors; however, I haven’t noticed that it’s made a difference (I also haven’t dropped anything on my foot or stubbed my toe). In the Vapors, I felt every little pebble through the sole, to the point where I would often stumble or react from some sharp pain. For me, the Trail Gloves have the perfect amount of sole cushioning—I can feel the pebbles but it’s never painful. Walking on pavement for too long in the Vapors caused some pain on the outside of my foot, where it makes contact with the ground; walking on pavement with the Trails has not been an issue. The area around the ankle is more substantial on the Trails than on the Vapors. I would have preferred that the Trail Glove had as wide a toe box as the Vapor Glove—my pinky toes seem too close to the outside of the shoe. Other than that, these shoes have been great off road as well as on city streets, and I look forward to continuing to wear them daily.

Overall this is a good hiking shoe but I would not recommend them for running. The arch was indeed prominent. At the end of my run in them, I felt pain in my arches, which is not my normal experience with barefoot shoes. In my opinion, if you have a stiff and thick sole that prevents the foot from moving as it should, you should put some cushion on it to pamper the foot. Otherwise, the sole should be flexible and thin while still offering some protection, so that the foot can do its job in absorbing impact. Otherwise, all the impact is redirected to the joints. This was my experience with these shoes.On the positive side, I did not feel anything under my feet, which is kind of why I wanted to try them. On the other hand, I think this, the arch support, and the stiff sole disqualify it as a 'barefoot' shoe. I would return them if I could but I already chipped the tread after 12 miles of running. Several other reviews have said the same about the tread. The toe spring was quite nice, however, and helped me get over steep hills and effortlessly maintain speed.My normal shoe size is US 10.5M to 11M and I ordered 10 and10.5 with these and the 10.5 fit perfectly. I had US 10M on the trail glove 5s, which fit well. My feet are definitely on the narrow side.

I got away from these for a few years, but as of late I felt weird knee and hip issues wearing other brands. Went back to the trail glove and in 3 days I was walking in the appropriate kinetic chain to alleviate my joint pain. Love the shoes and I am tough on all my shoes…these will last 1-1.5 years for me.

Like the looks of this shoe but it is a little hard to get on, doesn't have much support. It is convenient for slipping on with no socks or wearing in wet and not worrying about it.

It is a bit narrow, but once you break them in they feel good.

Nice minimalist shoe. Fits nice and snug but not too tight. Shoes are great for working out in. Seem to be pretty durable so far. Nice shoes.

Pretty tight, and the cord is really really horrible

I love trail glove series but they just don't last long for me.

I bought these shoes to replace an older version of the same shoe. The first thing I noticed when I put them on was how narrow they are. Some other reviewers say these shoes fit small and recommend ordering a half-size larger. I find the length is OK, but the width is narrow. I also noticed there are rough seams inside that are loosely covered by a strip of cloth to protect your feet. The problem though is that with the shoes tight these protective strips are easily pushed away from the rough seam when you slide your foot in. I anticipate foot damage unless you always wear socks in these already tight shoes. I have also used Nike fly knit shoes and I suspect they are more comfortable so I will trade.

Très bonne chaussuresLes moins : La largeur de pieds est un peu trop petit.

Brought as a gift for my husband and he is really happy with them. He was worried that they looked a bit small but after loosening all the laces the fit is perfect.

I bought these because my Vapor gloves are just too thin for trail running on rocky ground. I was looking for something still barefoot but with a bit more support on the rocks.These shoes are very minimal, lightweight and definitely provide the necessary protection whilst still giving that barefoot feeling of the ground.They are a narrow fit.There is a lot of arch support, so I don’t think truly barefoot but incredibly comfortable whilst running, straight out of the box.A great companion for my Vapor gloves but not a replacement.

I own 2 other pairs of barefoot shoes. one from Vivobarefoot and a cheap one from amazon. Owned a pair of Merrell trail gloves 5 previously. some thoughts based on my experience so far.+Good quality, as one will expect from Merrell.+The lacing setup looks & feels great.-Effort is needed to get it on & off, compared to older trail Gloves I owned. But it's the same effort as one would require for my other shoes. Nothing super bad.The outer sole is a bit thicker I feel, but personally, I am looking forward to it, since the Merrell gloves 5 I owned had to retire in a matter of few months last summer. I would appreciate a bit of longevity for this money.You will feel the arch support initially but will get used to it. On the first day, I thought I might have to return it, but now it seems I got used to it. Not sure why a lot of negative reviews are out there just because of this.Update: after many travels and almost 7 months of usage. From longevity, as well it's a really really good pair of shoes. light to pack for travels, quick to dry, and comfortable.