Merrell - Trail Gloves Series

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.

Merrel Trail Glove, theyre amazing

Have had the 3s for ages, now got the 6s, my favourite shoe ever I think, just bang on in every respect (for the majority of the year).

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 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.

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.

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.

Merrell Trail Glove 6's. The Vibram soles on that shoe are fantastic!

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.

Merril trail runners, i love them