Merrell Men's Trail Glove 5 Fitness Shoes

Product Information

The wider width in the forefoot gave my wide feet so much room, and the material of the shoe was movable and breathable. Whatever the intention of design, the addition of a 4mm midsole significantly decreases ground-feel flexibility through the midfoot and forefoot — which results in diminished flexibility in the toes — and the feeling of conventional arch support. Supplementary cushioning in the midsole helps with impact over long mileage, and a rock plate further helps protect the bottom of your foot from sharp objects on the trail. For those looking to switch from conventional to more minimalist running shoes, the combination of an 11.

But make sure to check their size chart for the proper conversion — one half-size in US does not always correlate directly to one-half size in EU. But for those of us who already have a comfortable amount of pronation in our gait, we found ourselves pushing back against it, and actually supinating — something that is not a normal part of our running posture. And a little bit of roughness around the ‘shank’ or midsole that came about from 12 odd kilometres in the gravelly Brisbane Ranges.

Give yourself a few short, easy runs per week initially to adjust to the sparse cushioning, and gradually build up your speed and distance. The material can twist and flex with the natural movement of the foot, even with a protective forefoot rock plate. With the additions of a rock plate and a relatively stiff midsole that dictates foot movement, this new Trail Glove loses sight of its original intentions as a barefoot running shoe.

We believe it is important for a minimalist shoe to get out of the way and allow the user to run naturally, not dictate through design how natural should feel — since we each have our own individual way of running, a way that is natural to our individual design, not the design of a shoe. They’re a ‘barefoot’ style shoe that’s “designed to enhance the foot’s natural ability to [stabilise] the body during rapid changes in movement”. Rather than a full-rubber toe rand, a slightly thicker layer of TPU protects the front of the shoe from abrasion and the potential of the mesh ripping, while also cutting down on weight. Vibram have also created two rubber compounds- Trek and TC5+ that provide sure traction on both wet and dry surfaces in even the most extreme temperatures.

The seamless integration of the outsole rubber through the heel makes for smoother transitions, as well as bumpering the foot’s perimeter for more protection on rocky trails. The midsole puts pressure on the inside of the foot, making us want to pronate and land on that "sweet spot" of the forefoot between the fourth and fifth toes. This makes the shoe a standout for bombing down twisty single-track, shuffling along a narrow creek crossing, or even just doing workouts at the gym. It is an advanced bio-mechanical design at its most minimal while the near-ground construction enhances the foot's natural ability to stabilize the body during training both in and outdoor.