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.