Revision as of 13:38, 13 August 2017

The Trail Glove is my favorite all-round Minimalist shoe. It's not as light as the Mizuno Wave Universe, but it's a little more comfortable and lasts a lot longer. I've purchased my first pair of Trail Gloves over two years ago, and they're still going strong. I don't run in them much, but I wear them walking and I've nearly worn my first pair out. The Trail Glove is also a nice shoe for casual driving (it's not fire retardant for competitive driving.) I have the version 2 and 3 of the Trail Glove, and the changes are only cosmetic, so I'm grateful that Merrell hasn't screwed up a great shoe. While this is the Trail version, I find it's ideal for Road use as the outsole is not aggressive. For the latest version of the trail glove see Merrell Trail Glove. (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

Merrell Trail Glove 3 top	Merrell Trail Glove 3 bottom	Merrell Trail Glove 3 inside	Merrell Trail Glove 3 outside
Merrell Trail Glove 2 top	Merrell Trail Glove 2 bottom	Merrell Trail Glove 2 inside	Merrell Trail Glove 2 outside
Merrell Trail Glove top	Merrell Trail Glove bottom	Merrell Trail Glove inside	Merrell Trail Glove outside

1 Cushioning, Running Economy, & Performance

There is scientific evidence that a little cushioning can improve Running Economy, which means it takes less effort to run at the same pace. The Trail Glove shoe does not offer enough cushioning to provide that increase in, so you'll probably be slower than you would be in a slightly more cushioned shoe.

2 Characteristics

• Why you’d buy it. The Trail Glove is a well-designed minimalist shoe with great longevity. It isn't a fast shoe by any means; it's actually the slowest shoe I've tested. If you want a faster minimalist shoe, go for the Mizuno Wave Universe, but the Trail Glove will last much longer. On the other hand, if you want a truly fast shoe, then look to the cushioned New Balance RC5000 or Asics Gel Hyper Speed. The extra cushioning gives an improvement in Running Economy that will make you faster in the RC5000 or Hyper Speed than any of the minimalist shoes. Note that while this the "trail" version of Merrell's glove series, it's the version I choose for road running.
• Cushioning . There is no cushioning to speak of. There is a tiny bit of foam, and the outsole will give a little, but this is a true minimalist shoe.
• Drop. The Trail Glove is zero-drop, as you'd expect (but don't always get) from a Minimalist shoe.
• Structure. Because there's no cushioning, there's no scope for multiple densities of foam. The Trail Glove wraps the arch area, but doesn't provide any "arch support" to cause problems.
• Flexibility. The Trail Glove is very flexible when compared to most other shoes but it's outsole does mean there is some slight resistance to flex.
• Outsole. There is harder rubber over the entire contact patch of the Trail Glove. While this is marketed as a trail shoe, the outsole has only slight lugs and limited grip in soft or muddy trails. I've found the rubber is hard wearing and provides sufficient stickiness.
• Shape. The Trail Glove is nicely shaped, and one of the few shoes where I don't have to cut open the toe box.
• Upper. The upper is a little thicker than many shoes, but breaths acceptably well. There is no padding in the upper, but few seams and overall I've found the Trail Glove to be quite comfortable.
• Tongue. The Trail Glove has a thinly padded, traditional tongue that is held in places by a tab for the laces.
• Lacing. The laces are slightly rounded, but work okay; I've had the occasional issue with them not staying tied.
• Heel Counter. Thankfully, there's not a traditional heel counter, just a thing strip of reinforcement that doesn't do much.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Merrell Trail Glove 3 at Zappos Buy Merrell Trail Glove 3 at Road Runner Sports Buy Merrell Trail Glove 3 at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Merrell Trail Glove 3 at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

3 Comparisons

Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.

3.1 Merrell Trail Glove and Mizuno Wave Universe

The Trail Glove and Mizuno Wave Universe are both minimalist shoes, but they approach minimalism in different ways. The Wave Universe is extremely light weight, and less than half the weight of the Trail Glove. However, the Trail Glove will last far longer than the Wave Universe.

Merrell Trail Glove 3 top	Merrell Trail Glove 3 bottom	Merrell Trail Glove 3 inside	Merrell Trail Glove 3 outside
Mizuno Wave Universe 5 top	Mizuno Wave Universe 5 bottom	Mizuno Wave Universe 5 inside	Mizuno Wave Universe 5 outside

3.2 Merrell Trail Glove and New Balance RC5000

While the New Balance RC5000 is stunningly light, it's not a minimalist shoe like the Trail Glove. Instead, the RC5000 provides more cushioning than you might expect, and enough for me to categorize is as an optimal shoe rather than Minimalist. Because the RC5000 provides enough cushioning to improve Running Economy it will be far, far faster to run in than the Trail Glove.

Merrell Trail Glove 3 top	Merrell Trail Glove 3 bottom	Merrell Trail Glove 3 inside	Merrell Trail Glove 3 outside
New Balance MRC 5000 top	New Balance MRC 5000 bottom	New Balance MRC 5000 inside	New Balance MRC 5000 outside

3.3 Merrell Trail Glove and Vibram FiveFingers

The FiveFingers are one of the earliest manufactures to focus on Minimalist shoes. I've had many pairs of FiveFingers, and there's a lot to like about them. However, getting the FiveFingers to fit right is tricky, as they need to match the shape of your foot quite closely or your toes won't go into the toe pockets. While having individual articulation for each toe is nice in theory, I've found that as long as I have enough room for my toes to spread and move naturally, I don't need that level of independence. As a result, I find that the Trail Glove is a better all-round minimalist shoe than any of the FiveFingers.

Merrell Trail Glove 3 top	Merrell Trail Glove 3 bottom	Merrell Trail Glove 3 inside	Merrell Trail Glove 3 outside
Vibram FiveFingers KSO top	Vibram FiveFingers KSO bottom	Vibram FiveFingers KSO inside	Vibram FiveFingers KSO outside

4 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.