Merrell Men's Vapor Glove 3 Trail Running Shoes

Product Information

In addition, the EVA foam insole and Vibram outsole are also composed of at least 30% recycled materials. If you care about the materials used in your shoes, then I think this will be a nice pro that comes with the Vapor Glove 6. Merrell Vapor Glove 6 Cons For those just transitioning to barefoot running shoes, or those who find constant pavement pounding to be hard on their joints, we suggest looking at a different running shoe that offers slightly more cushioning in the midsole or insole.

For hiking, I like the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 and think it will fare well for casual hikes in warmer months. The high level of breathability with this shoe is great for warm contexts, but this won’t be your barefoot shoe for hiking in cooler months, in my opinion. 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 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. Merrell’s combination of Vibram soles with a Cordura mesh upper offers substantial protection while remaining featherlight and ultra-responsive. For the experienced barefoot runner (or those willing to take on the learning curve) this is an essential shoe.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. Merrell Vapor Glove 4 is a commendable minimalist, zero-drop trainer that exceeds at providing the right amount of protection and proprioception.

On top of this, they have a good level of breathability, so if you’re doing something like HIIT or athletic-style sessions in warmer settings then I don’t think your feel will run overly hot in this model.In wider barefoot shoes, you can sometimes slide when their width doesn’t align with your foot anatomy, so this model should be perfect for narrow and neutral-width feet. For wide feet, these should work, but I don’t think they’re the best option for notably wide feet. Testing the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 for Versatile Training The Merrell Vapor Glove 6 delivers a strong performance for the barefoot shoe lover who wants a shoe for working out but also adventuring outdoors. This shoe is what I would call a hybrid regarding its outdoor and indoor performance. On the lightweight chassis, you get a sturdy Cordura mesh upper with TPU reinforcements on the inside arch, outside pinky toe area, and heel.

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. My only gripe with this shoe for versatile training is that the little arch in the sole may be uncomfortable for some as they jump more due to the arch compressing and flexing throughout your training session. Testing the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 for Hiking, Short Runs, and Daily Wear 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. 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.

Takeaway Thoughts

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. Overall, though, I think the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 will excel in a wide range of hiking settings, especially in warmer months. I’ll likely use this shoe as I use the Vapor Glove 5 which is on hikes that have water crossings. The outsole also does a pretty good job of providing traction for different exercises. When doing things like kettlebell swings and walking lunges on different surfaces, I never had slip issues with this shoe. On top of this, you may want to pass on this shoe if you’re wanting a model for functional fitness or for road running. The thinner sole and lightweight mesh upper may not be the most durable for these training contexts as well. Performance Assessment

For outdoor wear, this shoe has a slightly more aggressive tread patterning on its outsole with 2mm lugs and the outsole extends over the toe and heel for added traction and protection when hiking, trail running, and wearing these out and about. 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.On top of this, the sole also articulates pretty well so if you want a barefoot shoe that has a nice level of flexibility, then I think you’ll enjoy how the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 performs for lifting. 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. Another thing that I think is both positive and negative about this shoe is its width. For narrow and neutral-width feet, I think you’ll enjoy the amount of room you get in the toe box for toe splay as it’s spacious but it doesn’t feel like it’s too much.