Merrell Trail Glove 7 GORE-TEX Review

Article by Mike Postaski

Merrell Path Glove 7 GORE-TEX ($180)

Introduction

I’ve a pair of outdated Vapor Glove V3’s that I way back retired to inside housekeeping responsibility – good and secure “floor” really feel when working round the home, portray, climbing ladders, and so on ! However in truth, I discover myself “un-retiring” them once in a while for some treadmill mountain climbing when my decrease legs are feeling recent and I really feel like including in some foot strengthening.

I’ve by no means truly had a Path Glove mannequin – which is Merrell’s equal “barefoot” shoe for the paths. Provided that I prefer to experiment with completely different kinds of low-drop and pure operating shoe kinds, I used to be excited to check out Merrell’s newest Path Glove model.

Professionals:

Locks heat in – nice for chilly temps

Versatile floor really feel

A agency layer between foot and floor, not paper skinny

No foam to pack out – they are going to final a very long time

Cons:

Free, non-effective ankle collar

Barely stiff higher, non fairly glove-like

Could also be tough to placed on

Roomy within the heel space

Outsole tracks mud simply

Excessive worth ($180) for very particular usages

Stats

Weight: males’s oz / g (US9) / girls’s oz / g (US8)

Samples: males’s 10.3 oz / 292g US 9.5, oz / g US

Stack Peak: 14mm heel / 14mm forefoot (0 drop spec)

$180 Obtainable Now

First Impressions, Match and Higher

Largest and most evident first impression – straight out of the field – what’s up with that ankle collar ??? I might inform instantly earlier than even making an attempt them on that it appeared fairly unfastened and never fitted in any respect. I am a fan of built-in ankle gaiters in path sneakers, however I would say 90% of the time, they don’t seem to be designed effectively, and infrequently do extra hurt than good.

That is undoubtedly the case right here because the collar may be very unfastened, made up of a Neoprene materials, and never effectively fitted or stretchy. There are big gaps throughout my ankle behind the gaiter materials. That is undoubtedly detrimental and absolutely funnels in additional path particles than any commonplace ankle collar.

I actually do not know the place they had been going with this design. Maybe when you have a a lot thicker decrease leg it might work? Or maybe in the event you had been carrying very thick socks and/or layers, you may make a decent seal? I am going to simply depart these two choices on the desk, not way more to say about it.

The principle a part of the higher consists of an built-in internal GORE-TEX liner with an outer mesh cloth. These two higher layers put collectively are fairly inflexible, and do not fairly present the “glove” really feel across the foot. I discover the match a bit spacious on the inside, however that will differ relying in your foot quantity.

The quicklace system does effectively to cinch the higher down, however once more, I do not fairly get a satisfying “glove”-like really feel. Maybe the non-GTX mannequin’s higher is a little more pliable compared?

One other space that feels barely off is the heel. It feels overly spacious to me, as if my heel is floating round a bit contained in the heel space. There’s no explicit bolsters on the within above & across the heel to lock the heel in. The outsole on the heel space wraps up and above the heel, which serves to carry the heel down, which helps. However however, that makes the shoe somewhat bit tough to placed on. It’s a must to type of shimmy your heel over the higher lip of the rear heel and into the shoe.

[Not much if any padding around the collar to keep the heel seated]

Midsole & Platform

Being an express “barefoot” fashion, there’s not a lot midsole to talk of right here. It’s famous that there’s some FloatPro foam within the combine, and the stack is listed at 14mm (zero drop). The 14mm absolutely contains the two.5mm lugs + outsole + sockliner, because it nonetheless feels very skinny and agency underfoot, which is predicted, and never a “con”.

Your complete midsole/outsole unit is extraordinarily versatile, much like most pure fashion sneakers. You possibly can simply fold the shoe in half or roll it up virtually right into a ball. Should you’re seeking to let your foot do the flexing and for the shoe to get out of the way in which – this can be a good choice.

One constructive to level out is that because of the agency nature of the froth, and the design of the shoe generally – the Path Glove ought to final for much longer than most path sneakers. There’s no foam to pack out or degrade. I’ve had my Vapor Gloves for a number of years now and so they really feel precisely the identical underfoot as once I acquired them.

Outsole

The outsole rubber is Vibram Ecostep (30% recycled content material). The lug depth is 2.5mm in a type of squiggly interlocking sample. The lugs really feel smooth and a bit unusual beneath foot when operating on stable floor – virtually as if they’re flexing and torquing as you set pressure into the bottom.

I discovered the grip to work effectively sufficient in most dry situations. The lug sample does have a tendency to choose up small pebbles as you may see within the image above. Mud is one other subject altogether. I discovered that the dense array of slim lugs actually tracked lots of mud at instances, and didn’t shed effectively.

Maintaining with my family utilization situations – I put them on in semi-cold (however not frozen floor) climate to string up my Christmas lights. I figured they’d maintain my ft heat and be snug going up and down the ladder. However the outsoles ended up getting so caked in mud that I needed to change them out. I might strongly discourage utilizing these in smooth or muddy situations.

Journey, Conclusions and Suggestions

The Path Glove 7 GTX strikes an honest stability between having a “barefoot” really feel and likewise blunting a little bit of impression from the paths. The 14mm stack is unquestionably skinny by commonplace operating shoe requirements, however it’s not paper skinny as with some really barefoot choices similar to a Vivobarefoot or Merrell’s personal Vapor Glove. The outsole additionally wraps up across the exterior of the foot on each the medial and lateral sides. This gives some stability, which actually will increase their vary into extra uneven terrain.

To not harp on it once more, however I anticipated extra of a glove-like really feel by way of the shoe wrapping across the foot. The shoe is kind of “round-ish” across the forefoot and within the toebox – so it does really feel like there’s some spaciousness across the foot. I discovered carrying some thicker socks and snugging up the quicklaces helped in getting match.

I examined them initially in above-freezing temps and so they did run fairly heat. My ft had been fairly clammy when temps had been within the higher 40s. The neoprene collar appeared to absorb lots of sweat. Personally I’d reserve these just for sub-freezing temps, however they might differ relying in your stage of foot heat wants.

General, the journey is agency and secure underfoot. They’re shoe in the event you’re out there for a minimalistic journey for the winter. They’re additionally nice for winter mountain climbing in the event you don’t need that a lot insulation between your foot and the chilly floor. I’ve been experimenting with some rucking to strengthen my legs for path operating – each on hilly paved floor and trails. I discovered the Path Glove is just about the right shoe for that (in chilly climate in fact).

The value is a draw back – $180 is pricey for what you get, which is a considerably specialised shoe. You will get extra runnable GORE-TEX sneakers for fairly a bit cheaper. But when it’s precisely what you’re on the lookout for, that’s much less of a problem. Merrell does have extensive distribution channels so you can even maintain a watch out for offers, particularly on the finish of the winter season.

Mike P’s Rating: 8.05 / 10

Journey: 9 – Good and versatile, good floor really feel whereas blunting some sharps

Match: 7 – Not fairly as cosy and glove-like as anticipated

Worth: 7 – Fairly a excessive worth for a considerably specialised shoe

Fashion: 9 – The blue does pop, however I feel the all black is basically slick

Traction: 8 – Okay in dry situations or mild snow, however poor in slop or mod

Rock Safety: 9 – Arduous to grade, however 14mm offers a contact extra safety than different pure “barefoot” kinds

Smiles 😊😊😊

Comparisons

Index to all RTR evaluations: HERE

Arduous to give you comps for the sort of shoe – in the event you consider something, please let me know within the feedback

Merrell Vapor Glove (V3)

Mike P (9.5): I solely have an older model, however newer variations are in all probability comparable. The Vapor Glove is way thinner, primarily only a few mms of rubber between foot and floor. Possibly there’s some foam underfoot, however little or no, and feels so much lower than the path glove. The Path Glove’s added lug peak additionally provides some extra safety from the bottom. My V3 Path Gloves do have a way more “glove-like” match than the Path Glove 7 GTX, however that could possibly be because of the stiffer GTX higher.

Merrell Agility Peak 5 GTX

Mike P (9.5): In take a look at proper now – not a direct comp, however two GTX choices from the identical model – one minimal, the AP 5 being comparatively maximal. I’ve discovered the AP5 to be simply nice for chilly climate operating to this point. An excellent path shoe, operating centered, with a Gore-tex higher. I discover the AP 5 Gore-tex higher to be fairly breathable truly, and fewer clammy than most GTX uppers I’ve examined. It nonetheless retains the ft heat, however lets them breathe greater than the VG. I doubtless gained’t run a lot within the VG’s, however maintain them for mountain climbing and rucking. The AP 5 GTX is a a lot better winter runner.

Altra Superior 6 (RTR Evaluation)

Mike P (9.5): For me, this was a very nice replace from Altra. Compared to the TG, you might have an actual foam midsole underfoot and the softness is clear, clearly. You get good floor really feel with the Superior compared to most path sneakers, however you’re not fairly as near the bottom as with the TG. I like the Superiors for heat climate operating and informal use. In addition they look a bit sleeker and mix in a lot better off-trail than Merrell’s very loud styling. TG is an effective choose if you wish to get even nearer to the bottom and actually work the foot muscle mass.

Topo ST-5 (RTR Evaluation)

Mike P (9.5): One other nice iteration from Topo. It’s thinner and nearer to the bottom than ST-4, versatile for brief runs, cross coaching, and gymnasium exercises. Just like the Superior, its styling is extra understated, making it choose for informal use compared to the Merrell. The ST-5 is nearer to the bottom than the Superior, however nonetheless, not as shut because the TG. There’s a skinny layer of froth underfoot to provide it some softness. Alternatively, the TG’s firmness will doubtless make the shoe final for much longer than both the Altra or the Topo.

Samples had been offered at no cost for evaluation functions. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and should earn fee on merchandise bought by way of procuring hyperlinks on this article. These partnerships don’t affect our editorial content material. The opinions herein are fully the authors’.

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