Merrell Men's Trail Glove 2 Trail Running Shoe

Now I'm not a running shoe expert by any means, and I expected that it might take me time to find the perfect pair of shoes. NOPE.These fit so perfectly, it's like they were custom-tailored. Everything's just snug, but plenty loose in the toes.The top is super breathable. I can foresee my feet getting soaked if I wanted to go out running in heavy rain, but as long as it's not too cold out I don't see it being problematic.They were already perfectly laced too. I literally took them out of the box and placed them on my feet, and they just went on like magic.The vibram rubber sole is both perfectly flexible and feels tough as leather. It's just the perfect amount of thickness to get the barefoot feel without worrying about getting your toes too banged up on a rocky trail. My first time wearing them I took them for a spin on a 17-mile trail that loops around my college town. As a running amateur I was out there all the day long, alternating between walking, jogging, and sprinting. My stomach may have almost quit on me at a few points along the journey, but these shoes didn't let me down.Somehow the bow of the laces even stayed tucked between the tongue and the eyelets, where I put them, for most of the run. I'll most likely switch to lock laces when I get the chance, just to remove the extra step of tying them and just because I like the aesthetic.Speaking of aesthetic, though, these shoes are rad. They obviously gave the style of the shoe a lot of thought, even as they focused on the function.Finally, the price was totally agreeable. Since it's my first time, I didn't want to spend too much on a pair of running shoes, but I wanted something that was worth the money and would last me a long time. With other minimalist shoes of similar reputation, I was looking at double to triple the price.Now, after having made that last statement about pricing, I just went on a ten-minute researching trip on google to try and figure out just how ethical Merrell is. It turns out that even an anti-capitalist, 99%er, '80s generation punk like myself can find this company pretty agreeable. They run independent audits on their (outsourced) factories to ensure compliance with fair labor practices, their head offices compost all food waste and the company also happens to be the largest renewable energy producer in Michigan. Also noteworthy is that they sent a shipment of 4,000 shoes to Haiti in the aftermath of the country's most recent crisis, and they also run a program called Project Athena, a non-profit that fundraises to sponsor athletic adventures for women recovering from severe illnesses. I felt like all of this was well-worth noting, because there are plenty of people out there (and more every day, or at least I certainly would like to believe) who are opening their eyes to real issues in the world and refusing to stand for it. It feels great to wear a shoe that you know is top of the line, but if you can wear it without wondering how guilty you are - priceless.

I'm a former track and cross country runner trying to get back into the habit of running, and I needed a pair of flats that would be flexible and light, but still durable enough for the rocks and nuts on the trails around my university. These shoes fill that role superbly, and are some of the best trail flats I've ever owned.They fit true to size for me (10), though my foot is slightly larger than average at the midsection. The toe box is roomy enough for my toes to splay when they need to, but not so large that they feel like they're floating around when my foot lifts off. The lacing system (supposedly proprietary) makes the shoe appropriately snug around the midsection of my foot, so there's no sliding at all. That means no blisters or chafing, whether you wear them barefoot or not (which you definitely can, but more on that later).These shoes were meant to be an alternative to true barefoot running, which I was excited about, but I didn't really get that feel from them, a mixed blessing of sorts. This was due to a couple of things:1) The soles here are *tough*! Vibram soles are known for durability, and it looks like they've buffed it up with a rock plate along the length of the mid-foot, and some absolutely gnarly treads at the balls and toes of the shoe. So while there's no drop at all (the heel and toe are at the same elevation when standing), and the soles are quite thin (4mm thick), you don't really get to feel every detail of the ground. A more drastic example would be to put a piece of 4mm steel beneath your toes; would that let you still feel the ground? So on the one hand, you aren't feeling the trail as much as you might like, but on the other hand, you aren't feeling all of the rocks, roots, and nuts (we get acorns, eucalyptus stones, and buckeyes around here) that would really be a pain to land on. I think this was a fair trade off for a trail shoe, and it turned out great in this case.2) These shoes aren't super-bendy flexible. Some people prefer a super bendy shoe, like Vibram FiveFingers, and have complained about the rock plate along the bottom of the shoe. In rebuttal, I found the shoe was perfectly flexible around the toe box, where it really matters, even when laced tightly.As it is, the rock plate will deflect perhaps 20º from normal, which is plenty. I'm not quite sure I understand why having so much flex along the midsole is super important to some people; if the middle of your foot is bending 90º when you run, you're *probably* not doing something right. For a trail shoe, I think the flex is fine.So these characteristics make the shoe a little less sensitive to the ground than what you might expect from a "barefoot" shoe, but it's a lot better than what you'd get from a regular trail runner, while still encouraging proper running form and forefoot strikes.For just walking around, these shoes are plenty comfy, on the trails or concrete. You can still walk around town in them without getting storage looks, and without getting the aching heels and midsoles you might end up with walking around barefoot. I regularly use these as my shoes for archery tournaments, where I'll be standing around for half a day or more, and I've experienced no foot fatigue at all!When I use these on the trails, I generally wear them with socks on, but I've gone without a couple times, and it's been fine. It didn't change the fit of the shoe at all, and didn't detract from the sensation at all. The only gripe I have with going sock less is the little bits of gravel that will inevitably find their way inside, and the fine coating of dust your ankles will wind up with.Overall, a fantastic pair of flats for trail running. Flexible enough for what they need to do, tough enough to withstand being run through the grinder a good dozen times, perfectly comfy, easy on the eyes, and machine washable (for that runner's funk). All at a great price point. I honestly don't think you'll find a better shoe for the trails.