Merrell - Trail Glove 5 3D

I actually found them less breathable than my trail glove 5. The upper is pretty thick and padded for some reason. In addition to making it not as breathable as it could be, it retains water and doesn't dry as fast. I wanted to love them, but not a fan of the thick upper material.

Merrel Trail Glove, theyre amazing

Fellow Pennsylvanian here... and this struggle is real! I'm somewhat in the same boat as you as I've been trying to find shoes that are protective against the rocks and roots of our region while also being durable enough to get your money's worth out of the shoes. Here's my progression of footwear over the past 5-7 years or so along with some insights you can take as suggestions. None of these options are zero drop though except the Merrell trail gloves. Adidas Terrex - Pros: good coushion, plenty of padding and protection against rocks. Cons: not wide enough for my feet and they changed the cut of the heel stabilizer to be too high. Merrell Trail Glove - Pros: out of box comfort and very light. Cons: not at all good on rocks. Asics Gel Venture - Pros: out of box comfort and good tread. Cons: not durable, not wide enought, bad quality control. Merrell Moab Speed 1 - Pros: great durability of shoe body, available in wide sizes, and sufficient protection against rocks. Cons: tread is not durable. However, this is probably my favorite trail runner and I wish it was still in production. Its a 500 mile shoe with 300 mile tread. Brooks Cascadia 13 and 15 - Pros: quality tread and good rock protection. Cons - not as wide as I'd like in their 2E size and the heel lock fabric deteriorated quickly causing blisters on my heel. New Balance Hierro V7 - Pros: good coushion and heel support. Cons - that damn flappy thing on the heel, lack of padding in the tongue, durability. Brooks Cascadia 16 - Pros: great rock plate, awesome tread, and wider toebox in 2E size. Cons - shit quality. Regardless, I went through 3 pairs and just dropped the 3rd in the trash after hiking up Old Rag in Shennandoah a week ago. 500 mile tread on a 250 mile shoe body that is not worth the cost. Merrell Moab Speed 2 - Pros - lightweight and PA approved rock plate. Cons - durability and the redesign in general. Wore these on a 260 mile section hike and they messed up my feet and gave me blisters on top of my toes. Was fully refunded though. Merrell Nova 4 - arrives in the mail today in advance of a 120 mile AT section in central Va in a couple of weeks. Might move onto Topo Terraventures or Ultraventures next.

Vivobarefoot and Xero are both about as wide as Altra LPs, but obviously much less cushion between you and the ground. Merrell TrailGloves are also appropriately foot shaped and split the difference between an LP and a true barefoot shoe in stack height (LPs are 25mm, trail gloves are 12mm, Vivo primus trails are 5mm) Astral makes zero drop foot shaped water shoes, but their TR1 is kind of a hybrid, designed for canyoneering and pack rafting and stuff. Can get the job done as a hiker or approach shoe.

Or Trail Gloves. If they even still make those

Oh that’s a bummer but good to know! I have an old pair that are basically like being barefoot but with tread instead of skin.

Merrell trail glove’s were awesome on my last trip. No problems with my feet even though they were wet like 80% of the time. I used darn tough socks with them. They are semi bare foot shoes, sole thick enough to scramble on sharp rocks.

I have two pairs I switch between, both trail sneakers, depending on whether or not I have my car or the wifes. Saucony Peregrine and the Merrell trail glove. Both excellent, and you can get an older model a year or two out for a steal if you're not too picky about colors. I'll change up the laces for a color pop if they're bland. The Peregrine is more of a traditional style with deeper lugs I'll try to wear if it is a bit muddy, and the Trail Gloves are low profile snug fitting, more like barefoot style.

I've used a variety of flat shoes over the years (New Balance minimus, Merrell trail glove, Vivo Barefoots I forget the model....) and love it. I feel like my toes feel comfy and I have managed to avoid injury Big believer in barefoot shoes! I know not everyone has that opinion but I run in softer trail environment and it just feels good

Merrell trail glove or merrell Moab speed

Consider a minimalist shoe like the Trail Glove. Sounds like it checks all the boxes: grippy, close to the ground for lots of sensory feedback, lightweight, hugs your foot.

Weight savings is alone is worth. I started backpacking in my my Merrell Trail Gloves and probably wont go back. Obviously mountaineering and really rocky stuff may change your footwear but for trails I really like the light weight footwear more than boots.

Modern Trail Gloves suck. Vapor Gloves are still great. The Trail Gloves have a very agressive arch support. Their sole is a little bit ticker as well, but that may actually be more in line with what OP is looking for (more similar to what he has now).

Modern Trail Gloves suck. Vapor Gloves are still great. The Trail Gloves have a very agressive arch support. Their sole is a little bit ticker as well, but that may actually be more in line with what OP is looking for (more similar to what he has now).

Ive run in the Nike Pegasus Trail 4/5s and loved both. I also love the different iterations of the Merrell Trail Glove that I've had.

Merrell Trail Gloves and Altra —whichever fits better. I use both. Watch sales and Goodwill. In some towns Goodwill sells amazingly high-quality bargains.

Love the TrailGlove's! For shorter runs I love them, I fell it connect's me with the path, the earth, roots and rocks. However when it comes to longer runs (more than 10-14 km) I use Hoka's

Pedals: whatever is cheap and in stock at my LBS. Right now I'm rocking Bontrager yellow plastic whatever's on my tourer and Wellgo aluminum whatevers with those little Allen key studs on my hard tail. Does my shoe stick? Does it spin? Is it greaseable? That's all I care about. For shoes I just wear whatever I have on, most commonly a set of trail running shoes. I take Merrell Barefoots for touring specifically, mostly because of their ease of washing, light weight, and versatility. Don't overthink it.

I rotate through 2 pairs and run trails but also roads to get to trails. I love Merrell minimalist trail shoes. Super flexible, allow my feet to move easily, allow my feet to be strong (I feel too much cushion in shoes takes away from your awareness of your stride and doesn’t allow your feet to move naturally). You want to be sure to get a pair with a rock plate if you’re running trails.

Over the years I’ve worn trail runners from Merrill and Salomon, or standard running shoes from Nike and NB. A comfortable fit was the main criteria. Even on wet ground I’d rather have fast drying sneakers than boots.

I actually have those Merrels in blue. I love them.

I wouldn't know haha. I have some wide feet and have no problems. About 100 miles of trails and they look like they are brand new besides mud stains.

I’ve got two pairs of trail runners 1 merrell and 1 Nike Pegasus gtx. Both 9.5ik size. The merrell are roomier but have a slightly harder sole. The Nike have a softer sole but are tight across the width of the foot. So as others have said try and get to a running shop and try them on with different types of socks.