Merrell Men's Vapor Glove 3 Trail Running Shoes

Product Information

As you would expect in a minimalist shoe, there's not much to talk about in the 3mm insole other than the fact that it's stitched into the shoe and therefore unremovable. Merrell Vapor Glove 4 is a commendable minimalist, zero-drop trainer that exceeds at providing the right amount of protection and proprioception. While the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 does a good job from a hybrid outdoor and indoor context, I don’t think it’s going to be the best barefoot shoe for daily wear and more serious training.

If you have notably wide feet, then I would say tread lightly when looking into this shoe. This shoe should work for most, but again, if you have a flatter midfoot and arch, then you may not enjoy this shoe’s overall fit. On the roads, I suspect outsole durability may be the factor limiting the lifespan of these shoes, but the outsole will certainly outlast the midsole foam in an average running shoe. Gym workouts and easy treadmill miles are smooth.The Barefoot 2 execution on the midfoot comes out a little loose if you’re used to a snug, arch wrapping support. On top of this limitation, I also don’t think the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 will be the best barefoot shoe for serious strength work as its lugs could be off-putting for anyone wanting a shoe to get them as close to the ground as possible.

I think if you’re wanting a lightweight barefoot shoe for a little bit of everything, then the price point for the Vapor Glove 6 makes sense. This shoe does a good job of being decent for casual training and outdoor wear. The ground feel is similar to the Vibram V-Alpha’s if you are looking for a closed toe shoe that keeps the excellent proprioception offered by this style of sole. I did notice that the front half of the foot has a slightly muted proprioception during foot strike and toe-off with the closed toe when compared to a Vibram Fivefinger and having free little piggies.We like that the Vapor Glove is thoughtfully designed with the hope of an extended lifetime. Opting for abrasion-resistant Cordura mesh, the upper does a great job of balancing breathability and durability. Add in a substantial rubber toe rand and well-placed patches of TPU on the edges of the forefoot and around the heel cup, and you have a shoe with a long-lasting top half. If you have a flat and wider midfoot, then I could see the sole of this model bothering you. To add to this, I think if you didn’t resonate with the fit of prior Merrell Vapor Glove shoes, then you’ll find this shoe follows suit with its fit. Since these shoes are designed to be highly versatile, I wanted to put them to the test in a wide range of use contexts to help shed light on where they excel and where they fall short. Again, this shoe does remind me of a water shoe in many ways and I’ll definitely be using them this summer for my hikes that have creek crossings and for rainy or muddy excursions.

For multi-directional work and plyometrics, the 2mm lugs give you enough grip for most surfaces and on turf and rubber gym floors, this model did a good job of providing me enough traction to push my performance. The bellows tongue does a good job of keeping gravel and debris from getting into this shoe. I also like how the extended outsole wrap over the toe box and heel adds a nice degree of traction, protection, and durability. For my size 10 model, the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 has a weight of 5.6 oz which puts on the lighter end for shoes built for outdoor and indoor use. This model’s mesh upper also breathes really well which is a nice perk of this shoe. For narrow and neutral-width feet, the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 should fit really well. I also think this model will fit well for feet that have a bit more arch to them as their sole does have a little arch to it. All that being said, if you want a shoe that has a budget-friendly price that can hold its own for more casual hikes and outdoor wear, but then also performs well in the gym, then I think the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 is a good option for you. Who Shouldn’t Invest In the Merrell Vapor Glove 6?To assess the performance of the Merrell Vapor Glove 6, I’m going to cover their performance in a wide range of contexts. I’ll discuss how they perform for lifting, versatile training, short runs, hikes, and daily wear. For the Merrell Vapor Glove 6, I think most will be safe going true to size in this model. I found the length to fit true in this shoe and they have a fairly adequate throughout the toe box. However, I think if you’re wanting a barefoot shoe that you can wear to train and hike in and wear more formally, then you may have a hard time doing so in this shoe. You might want to look into something like the Vivobarefoot Primus Trail II FG. I did miss the burrito tongue closure sported by the trail Glove cousin but rest assured there is enough padding to offer protection and comfort without the bulk. Fit of the Merrel Vapor Glove 4 No noticeable difference in wear versus the Megagrip compound on my other Vibram soles, all which have held up over many, many miles thus far. Is there a midsole in the Vapor Glove?