I bought a pair of these instead of the 5 Fingers primarily because they fit my feet a lot better. When I tried the 5 Fingers the 'small toe' of the shoe was redundant as my 5 toes fitted into the space of 4 toes on the shoe. I thought I had quite broad feet but that was ridiculous! I haven't run far in my Merrell's yet but I have done a fair bit of walking and they are very comfortable. Generally I run in Inov8 shoes (I have several pairs) which are good for transitioning to minimalist running.
Do you know if these provide any warmth in the winter??? i am looking for a barefoot runner to replace my vibram trail runners in the winter time. Im from new england and i have to stop wearing my vibrams in october or my feet are numb for hours.
I unfortuantely could not use these shoes because of the narrowness in the middle. I've been running barefoot now for almost two years so my feet have adapted to not having a narrow mid-section. I literally could not even get my foot in them! I did, however, just purchase the Merrell Embark Glove Gore-Tex shoe and luckily my feet fit just fine since it's a wider show. I plan on running in them over the next few days. We'll see if they work out.
I was initially looking for FiveFingers but they don't make them in my size, 50 (swedish) or size 15 US. Merrell also don't ship my size to Europe. I was angry for days when I found out. However, I found bigshoes.com, who had the merell shoe in my size and would ship overseas. Just a tip for you big guys out there. Still fine after 150 km running, many times in soaking wet conditions. The toe protection is starting to come loose from wet workouts though. Very good stuff!
I typically hike in trail sneakers, do you think the trail glove would offer me a good starting platform to transition to a minimalist hiker? Or is there a better platform that I should consider? I really would like a light yet comfortable shoe that would allow me greater control and flexibility when on the trail. Most of my research has led me to trail running information, when I'm more focused on the hiking.
@skiles16 I hiked 5 hours up a mountain the other day in them. They have great grip and were comfortable. There my favorite shoes I have, but I don't have much to compare them too in terms of other barefoot shoes. I'm going to hike in them every time, and probably not going to buy nice hiking boots like I was planning.
For the past 3 years i have been wearing nothing but suede type material Vans as a general duty shoe. They feel like I'm walking on air with out any pain or pressure the more i wear them the more comfortable they become. But unfortunately they are on the heavy side and a bit to clunky for running purposes. I'm assuming most vans are flat soled? Would these be a great alternative for running purposes? can anyone familiar with vans comment? thank you.
@otatted1 theses shoes are actually designed to wear without socks, to give you a better sense of the terrain, so yes they are completely safe, and i imagine other barefoot shoes are, to wear without socks
I thought there was too much sole on the forefoot. It was like they had a negative drop. They are great for running in the mud though. I like my Brancas for running on the road.
i recently got a pair of bikilas. fine on distance work, but im a sprinter and its not that easy to do that in them on asphalt. which minimalist shoe do you think would be the best all around for distance and high impact stuff, with the exception of komodo's?
Hi there, would these be ok to use for hiking and walking long hours (on asphalt)? I have been wearing Nike Free for walking and running so far, and started some barefoot running on soft ground. I am going overseas and walk long hours. Would be great if you could let me know what you think, thank you!
I tried them and I have a warning for people who have been running barefoot before. Barefoot running widens the foot so Merrells are way too narrow. Also the inside of the shoe feels like a bowl and distorts the foot upon landing resulting in metatarsal fatigue and pain. The material on the soles makes feel it far from barefoot experience. In general I feel quite ripped off. $20 canvas shoes with thin sole would be a much better purchase.
Good review. Bout time the big boys ( big shoe companies) got on this trend. They're the ones who tricked us all into ruining our knees and weakening our feet.
The philosophy of barefoot shoes is to forget about orthotics and trying to correct supposed flaws in the foot. So they generaly have little or no arch support. I had quite high arches but these have flattened quite a bit since. My forefoot has also got wider as my toes have splayed to rest in a more natural state unconstrianed by restrictive shoes.
Are you committed to running with a forefoot style instead of heel striking? If so then the Trail Gloves would suit you well.
I have flat feet, so running in normal shoes means it's bascially like running in flippers. Heel hits, then front slaps down hard, I ended up running like barefoot so a flat sole with no arch is the greatest thing ever. I usually wear skate shoes since they've got no support to speak of but they're heavy. It takes a bit to get used to going without inserts or whatever, but it'll be great. You run on the balls of your feet, yea? Seemed a natural move but I could be odd. :P
If you use the inserts and arch supports and all that crap to try and run like you have arched feet, then running on the balls of your feet could be painful to start with and take some getting used to. I ignored that till the last part of my post as again, it seemed natural to run on the ball of my feet given the lack of an arch (Well, not completely lacking if I point my toes up, but near enough) but you may be different.
I have now run about 100 miles in the Trail Gloves and all on road. In my opinion they are now better than when I put them on new as the arch in the sole was quite noticable when new but this has gone away now. No signs of wear or any degradation.
I havenow run about 100 miles in the Trail Gloves and all on road. In my opinion they are now better than when I put them on new as the arch in the sole was quite noticable when new but this has gone away now. No signs of wear or any degradation.
@falafelstand yes, but you need to know how to run. hence the warning message on the box. I ran upward of 20 miles at one time in VFF with no issues at all.
For me it comes down the Merrell being a shoe that I can wear out and about, and not only running. I know you can wear the VFF's anywhere too, but in reality, I wouldn't be could dead in them when I'm out and about for the night and such.
So for me the appeal is that the Merrells are an all in one shoe. Running, trail running, going out to dinner, even wearing to work.
@therevelation222 Sorry, when you say "the shit", do you mean to say these shoes are good or bad after the wear-in period. I have just received a pair of NB Minimus in the mail and they are nothing like Five Fingers. The Minimus are narrow and feel very tight.
damnit bikitus learn fucking engish
gziegler82 2 weeks ago
what if you step on a rock?
ghastpie 2 weeks ago
These two shoes seem very good for parkour!
14supersonic 3 weeks ago
Are these waterproof?
jbads1989 1 month ago
I have owned this now for a year...love them!!!
antwerks1 1 month ago
Trail running? Saucony Outlaw FTW!
goatlps 1 month ago
I bought a pair of these instead of the 5 Fingers primarily because they fit my feet a lot better. When I tried the 5 Fingers the 'small toe' of the shoe was redundant as my 5 toes fitted into the space of 4 toes on the shoe. I thought I had quite broad feet but that was ridiculous! I haven't run far in my Merrell's yet but I have done a fair bit of walking and they are very comfortable. Generally I run in Inov8 shoes (I have several pairs) which are good for transitioning to minimalist running.
kage110 1 month ago
Do you know if these provide any warmth in the winter??? i am looking for a barefoot runner to replace my vibram trail runners in the winter time. Im from new england and i have to stop wearing my vibrams in october or my feet are numb for hours.
roryconeill 2 months ago
@roryconeill Get socks
viperdude281 1 month ago
I unfortuantely could not use these shoes because of the narrowness in the middle. I've been running barefoot now for almost two years so my feet have adapted to not having a narrow mid-section. I literally could not even get my foot in them! I did, however, just purchase the Merrell Embark Glove Gore-Tex shoe and luckily my feet fit just fine since it's a wider show. I plan on running in them over the next few days. We'll see if they work out.
SaLiOaKz 4 months ago
thank you so much for this!
ukenenam 4 months ago
Can I use this as tennis shoes?
xdayz 5 months ago
I got these a few days ago and they are awesome! they worked really good when i was sprinting up hills and doing some speed training- I love em
IceyNightmare 5 months ago
very nice review.
SalvadorLosAngeles 6 months ago
great review! thank you!
cardiokiller 6 months ago
Excellent review!
I was initially looking for FiveFingers but they don't make them in my size, 50 (swedish) or size 15 US. Merrell also don't ship my size to Europe. I was angry for days when I found out. However, I found bigshoes.com, who had the merell shoe in my size and would ship overseas. Just a tip for you big guys out there. Still fine after 150 km running, many times in soaking wet conditions. The toe protection is starting to come loose from wet workouts though. Very good stuff!
babarikado 6 months ago
how is this compared to the nb minimus trail?
jrk987 7 months ago
I typically hike in trail sneakers, do you think the trail glove would offer me a good starting platform to transition to a minimalist hiker? Or is there a better platform that I should consider? I really would like a light yet comfortable shoe that would allow me greater control and flexibility when on the trail. Most of my research has led me to trail running information, when I'm more focused on the hiking.
skiles16 7 months ago
@skiles16 I hiked 5 hours up a mountain the other day in them. They have great grip and were comfortable. There my favorite shoes I have, but I don't have much to compare them too in terms of other barefoot shoes. I'm going to hike in them every time, and probably not going to buy nice hiking boots like I was planning.
upLIF 7 months ago
Great, well-thought-out review. Thanks!
magilla808 7 months ago
For the past 3 years i have been wearing nothing but suede type material Vans as a general duty shoe. They feel like I'm walking on air with out any pain or pressure the more i wear them the more comfortable they become. But unfortunately they are on the heavy side and a bit to clunky for running purposes. I'm assuming most vans are flat soled? Would these be a great alternative for running purposes? can anyone familiar with vans comment? thank you.
marcin20042005 7 months ago
is it safe or recommended to wear these or other "barefoot" shoes without socks?
otatted1 8 months ago
@otatted1 theses shoes are actually designed to wear without socks, to give you a better sense of the terrain, so yes they are completely safe, and i imagine other barefoot shoes are, to wear without socks
zapaul93 8 months ago
deffenetly not for me. Flat footed and ankles are off set. good info though.
xLowLightx 8 months ago
I thought there was too much sole on the forefoot. It was like they had a negative drop. They are great for running in the mud though. I like my Brancas for running on the road.
BrancaRunning 8 months ago
i recently got a pair of bikilas. fine on distance work, but im a sprinter and its not that easy to do that in them on asphalt. which minimalist shoe do you think would be the best all around for distance and high impact stuff, with the exception of komodo's?
Spocksbrother 8 months ago
do these fit wide feet
DevastatedX 9 months ago
Hi there, would these be ok to use for hiking and walking long hours (on asphalt)? I have been wearing Nike Free for walking and running so far, and started some barefoot running on soft ground. I am going overseas and walk long hours. Would be great if you could let me know what you think, thank you!
evawilhelm 9 months ago
Does anybody use these as a day-to-day walk around the city shoe?
GotYarbles 9 months ago
How much do they cost? Also would you be able to use these shoes on pavement and grass?
NHLcrazy95 9 months ago
I tried them and I have a warning for people who have been running barefoot before. Barefoot running widens the foot so Merrells are way too narrow. Also the inside of the shoe feels like a bowl and distorts the foot upon landing resulting in metatarsal fatigue and pain. The material on the soles makes feel it far from barefoot experience. In general I feel quite ripped off. $20 canvas shoes with thin sole would be a much better purchase.
oldpiq 10 months ago
It's sad that people running in squeaky clown shoes would be looking weird at someone running barefoot as nature intended.
oldpiq 10 months ago
Thank you for the review! Looks like these are the shoes I've been looking for.
hinnatvoimassa 10 months ago
Good review. Bout time the big boys ( big shoe companies) got on this trend. They're the ones who tricked us all into ruining our knees and weakening our feet.
mikeasdf12345678 10 months ago
I am looking to make the change. I have flat as hell feet. Orthotics and the like. Will either of these work for me?
CitizenDino 10 months ago
@CitizenDino
Hi,
The philosophy of barefoot shoes is to forget about orthotics and trying to correct supposed flaws in the foot. So they generaly have little or no arch support. I had quite high arches but these have flattened quite a bit since. My forefoot has also got wider as my toes have splayed to rest in a more natural state unconstrianed by restrictive shoes.
Are you committed to running with a forefoot style instead of heel striking? If so then the Trail Gloves would suit you well.
BarefootAthleteVideo 10 months ago 4
@CitizenDino
Yes.
I have flat feet, so running in normal shoes means it's bascially like running in flippers. Heel hits, then front slaps down hard, I ended up running like barefoot so a flat sole with no arch is the greatest thing ever. I usually wear skate shoes since they've got no support to speak of but they're heavy. It takes a bit to get used to going without inserts or whatever, but it'll be great. You run on the balls of your feet, yea? Seemed a natural move but I could be odd. :P
FraggingBard 9 months ago
@CitizenDino
If you use the inserts and arch supports and all that crap to try and run like you have arched feet, then running on the balls of your feet could be painful to start with and take some getting used to. I ignored that till the last part of my post as again, it seemed natural to run on the ball of my feet given the lack of an arch (Well, not completely lacking if I point my toes up, but near enough) but you may be different.
FraggingBard 9 months ago
I just ran 8.5 miles in them today and absolutely love how they feel. I'm buying another pair after these wear out.
tubejoe69 11 months ago
I have now run about 100 miles in the Trail Gloves and all on road. In my opinion they are now better than when I put them on new as the arch in the sole was quite noticable when new but this has gone away now. No signs of wear or any degradation.
BarefootAthleteVideo 1 year ago
I havenow run about 100 miles in the Trail Gloves and all on road. In my opinion they are now better than when I put them on new as the arch in the sole was quite noticable when new but this has gone away now. No signs of wear or any degradation.
BarefootAthleteVideo 1 year ago
Would these be suitable for asphalt?
falafelstand 1 year ago
@falafelstand yes, but you need to know how to run. hence the warning message on the box. I ran upward of 20 miles at one time in VFF with no issues at all.
touge242 11 months ago
Love your accent, although to you I know it's not an accent :P Great review
antoneyneyney 1 year ago
Very good review especially for someone not yet a barefooter.
Thanks a million.
thewebgp 1 year ago
Vibram fivefingers are way better
Kix4Kicks 1 year ago
Thanks for the review, awesome job!
For me it comes down the Merrell being a shoe that I can wear out and about, and not only running. I know you can wear the VFF's anywhere too, but in reality, I wouldn't be could dead in them when I'm out and about for the night and such.
So for me the appeal is that the Merrells are an all in one shoe. Running, trail running, going out to dinner, even wearing to work.
Panoptic555 1 year ago 5
@Panoptic555
Progress should be driven by courageous people like you.
heathmoor 11 months ago
@heathmoor Progress = wearing ugly shoes/sneakers? Makes total sense.
Panoptic555 11 months ago
@Panoptic555 Amen man. That's what I like about their product :)
sp00kychin 3 months ago
how many KM's have you run because i heard that after the break in period these shoes are for lack of a better term the shit, nice review BTW
therevelation222 1 year ago
@therevelation222
Ive done 3 times 5 miles runs and a half marathon in them.
BarefootAthleteVideo 1 year ago
@therevelation222 Sorry, when you say "the shit", do you mean to say these shoes are good or bad after the wear-in period. I have just received a pair of NB Minimus in the mail and they are nothing like Five Fingers. The Minimus are narrow and feel very tight.
SuperApparition 11 months ago