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154 of 155 found the following review helpful:
 Yeah, they're that good..... Feb 20, 2011
By TEP
Ever since my KSO Treks disappeared a few months ago while travelling(TSA?) I have been back in the market for zero drop shoes. I loved my KSO's and was seriously considering getting another pair; however,I decided to look at some alternatives on different web sites and came across Merrell's bare foot running shoe's. I had to wait a bit, but now that I finally have a pair, I can tell you that it was totally worth it.
Before I start, I'll just preface this with the fact that I am not savvy on all of the lingo and dynamics of how these shoes are built and I am not a running snob. I run on and off trail 5 days a week, usually less than 6 miles, more intervals than distance work. I lift frequently too, and a neutral shoe helps save the knees with dead lifts and squats. That's what I use my shoes for, just to give you an idea of what I base my opinion off of.
First impressions: clean, simple, and lightweight.
Size: I wear a 10.5 M and so I ordered a 10.5 M and it fits perfect, with or without running socks. There is ample room in the toe box for your toes to splay. The lacing allows for a more custom/glove-like fit.
Comfort: It fits like a glove, nothing digs into my toes, heal or the top of my foot, just comfortable.
Performance: I took them out for 3 mile run right after I received them and was blown away. They felt good. My feet stayed snug in the shoes, I had adequate traction on mud and gravel laden turns on the trail and true to their barefoot tag, my feet were forefoot striking the whole way. The shoes incorporate a fair amount of mesh, so puddle splashes did cause my feet to get damp.
Having already put a fair amount of mileage in the KSO Treks, I will add in my thoughts about how the Merrell Trail Glove stacks up:
The Trail Glove fits more like a glove that the slipper like KSO Trek, mostly because of the lacing system. The Trail Glove and KSO Treks are both lightweight, I haven't checked the spec's to compare, but they are both minimalist shoes so its probably not a huge difference. The separate toes in the KSO Trek's and other Five Finger line-up is a novel design (maybe not since it is just modeled after the human foot), but I don't think it adds any advantages to running that the Trail Glove doesn't, aside from being goofy looking, getting dandelions caught between your toes, stubbing your toes and the ability to grab things with your toes to impress your friends. I think the Trail glove is more protective and more comfortable than the KSO Treks and you don't have to train your toes to fit into individual pockets. If you like the Five Fingers, that's fine, I ran with them for a while and liked them a lot, until I tried these bad boys.
As far as durability and long term wear goes, I'd refer you to other running blogs of those who've test driven the Merrel Trail gloves before they were released to people like me.
Hope this helps.
25 of 25 found the following review helpful:
Great Shoe Mar 20, 2011
By Ronald Restivo
"Ron R"
I've been wanting to try out one of the "barefoot'" shoes since I read reviews of the Vibrum Five Fingers. I tried them on at two stores and after fifteen minutes of trying I could never get them on my feet. My fat toes just would not go into the spaces they were supposed to fit into, so I was excited to read about these. I have wide feet so i normally wear anything between a size 11 and 12, depending on brand and if they come in a wide size. Wasn't sure about these, so I split the difference and ordered a 11.5. They fit perfectly!
First impression was that they felt a little funny with the narrow sole and heal, but then a went for a run in them and I was in love. They force you to learn to run off your forefoot rather that your heel. It takes a few runs to get the knack of it, but you'll see the benefits. Feet and legs felt much better and with my improved stride I have began cutting minutes off my training runs with no increase in effort. These shoes weigh almost nothing and fit like a second skin, so that's part of it I guess. They have plenty of room in the toe box.
I would recommend these to anybody looking to improve their running. I just ordered a pare of the True Gloves. Not sure of the difference, except they look like the sole tread is more suited to road running instead to trails, so I looking forward the comparing the two.
For people who are complaining about the narrow sole and low heal, these are running shoes, not walking shoes. I would not recommend them for someone looking for walking around shoes.
UPDATE: For those who might be interested, I just received a pair of the Merrell True Gloves. The soles of the True Glove and the Trail appear to be the same. The main difference is the Trail Glove has the mesh upper while the True Glove has a softer upper. For those who have commented of abrasions from the Trail Gloves mesh upper, the True Glove may be a better choice, however, it looks like the Trail Glove "breaths" better. Both are great running shoes and weigh almost nothing.
34 of 39 found the following review helpful:
Best shoes ever. Period. Apr 07, 2011
By J. D. Baldwin
"jd"
I should start by saying I have not run in my Merrell Barefoot Trail Gloves, at least not yet. I may one day. I am not an avid runner, more of a cyclist and occasional runner.
An aside about a separate product: I wore Nike Frees for about five years until very recently. I did run extensively in my last pair (as I was overseas and away from my bicycles) and they were great. I mostly wore them for casual and work (in an office with fairly lax dress code enforcement) use. I would not shut up about those shoes. I would evangelize about Nike Frees to anyone who would listen. Over five years, I probably went through six or seven pairs, none of which I really wore out, just upgraded or changed styles. My last pair were quite worn when I gave them away to a guy overseas. I decided to try a change, so I ordered a pair of these online, sight unseen.
Within about fifteen seconds of walking around my house in the Merrells, I knew my love affair with the Nike Free was over forever. THIS IS THE SHOE I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR MY WHOLE LIFE. I am way more excited about this shoe than any heterosexual male ought to be about any shoe, ever. But there you have it.
The sole is a perfect combination of firmness and flexibility. It feels much more like walking "barefoot" than any other "minimalist" shoe I have ever tried. Yet the side of the sole curves in to provide a certain measure of arch support. I do have fairly high arches, but my feet have always been strong enough that I haven't obsessed about finding great arch support. Those who have avoided "minimalist" shoes because of the arch support issue may want to give this model a serious look.
The liner is comfortable with or without socks. I usually go without -- almost always, in fact -- but the shoe has enough "give" that it's quite comfortable either way.
The large toe box is a major component of the shoe's comfort, but it must be said that it makes the shoe look just a wee bit dorky. If you can live with that in the name of comfort, go for it.
The only very slight drawback of this shoe is that it doesn't stretch the way my Frees did ... I actually have to loosen the top few rows of laces to get in or out of them, then tighten them back by hand to tie them up. I could treat my Frees as if they were almost slippers -- I don't think I'd tied or untied them in over a year by the time I got rid of my last pair -- but those days are over. Again, small price to pay, but it should be noted.
The online "professional" reviews (mostly running magazine sites and blogs) I consulted before picking these shoes were uniformly enthusiastic about them. They have exceeded the very high expectations created by those reviews. I am pleased to add my voice to the chorus of those who absolutely love these shoes.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Pretty good Jun 08, 2011
By Green Giant
I purchased the trail glove shoes about 6 weeks ago. I have tried them in a wide variety of settings. The fit is quite good for me; I have a medium width foot with normal arches. The sizing may be a little large compared to some brands. I wear a 14 or 15 depending on the shoe make, and these fit me perfectly in size 14 (hats off to Merrell for making big shoes!). The construction is fairly sturdy for such a minimal shoe. There is no insert, and the seams of the shoe are low-profile. I have not worn them yet without socks, as I was concerned about blisters...and fungus.
Newbies be warned--this type of shoe requires a significant period of adaptation if your switching from normal running shoes, so be prepared for your calves to be destroyed for quite a while after you begin running in them. Do NOT try to run your usual distance in them the first day. I also strongly suggest not running on hard pavement for some time until your adaptation is well underway. My last pair of shoes was a Nike Free 7.0, which did not require as significant an adaptation period.
I also found these shoes to be fantastic to lift weights in; squatting is superb. The soles are a bit minimal for Olympic lifting; I sometimes feel the landings in my heels during power cleans in a bad way. Be careful performing plyometrics also. The soles do not provide sufficient protection on the landings at all (I was doing fairly shallow depth jumps on a gym floor). I would suggest a more substantial shoe for that purpose. Sprinting in these shoes is good, but be prepared for some odd soreness in your lower legs. Again, it would be wise to gradually adapt to them in that role.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Getting Rid of Injuries Jun 02, 2011
By Aleksandr Milmeyster
I have been lifting weights for several years and was tired of the same routine so I got pretty hardcore into running and cycling. After two months of running and getting pretty bad shin splints and tendinitis in my right calve muscle, I was fed up. I began researching the subject of running form, gait, and the way in which running shoes affect both. After reading various articles, blogs and a couple of books (I would especially recommend Natural Running by Abshire), I decided to give the whole minimalist running shoe a try.
I could not be more satisfied. I looked at several running shoes before making my decision. I wanted a shoe that had a nearly nonexistent heal raise, little "support" of the foot, and plenty of room to roam in the toe box. I read and watched reviews for New Balance Minimus, Nike Free Run, Vibram Five, and several other barefoot running shoes. After very careful consideration, I decided to get this shoe.
I have been running in this shoe for three weeks now and can say that I am satisfied enough to get another pair of this shoe just to lay around in the closet for when I'm ready for it. The price is certainly high, but the results you get out of this shoe are spectacular. I have been injury free and feel more muscles in my legs and feet getting worked out with these shoes. I will say this though, YOU WILL NEED TO RUN DIFFERENTLY. The whole point of running in a minimalist shoe is to run more efficiently, and that means get rid of your heel-striking gait and running on the forefoot, landing on the mid-foot.
I have started training for my first half-marathon and run in these shoes three times a week right now, between 3 and 6 miles. I also cross-train which incorporates spinning and lifting weights. While this shoe is great for balance support while lifting weights, I would not recommend spinning in this shoe; wear your stiffer sneakers for when you spin or wear your spinning shoes, if you have a pair.
I would give this shoe six stars if I could.
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