Recently I purchased a pair of Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove running shoes. These are minimalist shoes that promise a barefoot experience. I have been so happy with my FiveFingers, that I thought I'd give these a try as well. Here's my review of the Merrell Barefoot Trail Gloves.
My first reaction to them is....Ouch! It's not an impact thing like I had with the Five Fingers at first...this is actual pain. You see, there is a seam at the back of the shoe that runs vertical at the heel. This seam rubbed me raw on both feet before I even ran 2 miles! To be fair...it was the first time I've worn them. I was wearing really thin socks also. I've had amazing luck with running shoes over the years so this is a first for me. I will try them again with thicker socks and hopefully that will stop the seam from rubbing.
On the good side...they are very comfortable when you first put them on and incredibly light weight. They fit very snug in the width and actually remind me much more of my old Nike racing flats, than a "barefoot" shoe. Originally, I was confused why the FiveFingers needed the toes...they look so weird. However, having now run in the Merrells, it really does make a difference. The Merrells just seem like racing flats, while the FiveFingers feel like I'm running barefoot.
As of right now, if you want a minimalist shoe with a "barefoot" experience...I would certainly recommend the Vibram Five Fingers over the Merrell Barefoot Trail Gloves. However, I will try them some more with thicker socks as I stated above. Perhaps after they break in, they will feel better while running.
Better, Stronger, Faster!
Welcome to John Noce Fitness and the Asheville Running Coach in Asheville NC. Improve your mile, 5k, 10k, half marathon, or even your marathon times! My name is John Noce and I'm a running coach, certified personal trainer & sports nutritionist with years (and miles) of experience. I coach beginning and experienced runners in order to help them be their best. Call me at (828) 738-6623.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What is it Like to Run a Virtual Half-Marathon?
What is it like to run a virtual half-marathon? Last year, I signed up to run a new half-marathon in my town. The Hot Chocolate Half-Maratho...
-
Recently, I had someone ask about running and hypoglycemia. Basically, you experience low blood sugar which is just like "hitting t...
-
Well, I got tired of waiting for the maps to show up on the various trail websites, so I created my own Trail Map for the Richmond Hill trai...
-
So my son, Christopher Noce, is running Track this year for Asheville Middle School. Today's meet is at Reynolds. What a beautiful tra...
I just got a pair of these and that seam is in the worst possible place :(. My poor heels!
ReplyDelete