Merrell Men's Vapor Glove 3 Fitness Shoes

My first minimal/barefoot/zero-drop shoe. Initially bought for running but after striking stones with the ball of my foot (painful!) I moved to Trail Gloves for running in and the Vapour Gloves for more general every day duties. It took well over a year for my feet to adjust, and did return to running in them from time to time. In the past year I've worn them almost daily and even cycled to work in them 5 days a week. So comfortable but well past their best as can be seen in the photo! Have purchased the Luna LTR version for through the cooler seasons and might well purchase another mesh pair for next Summer.

I've always worn running shoes with little cushioning, but this is the first time I've tried a minimal shoe like this. The first thing I noticed when I put them on is how comfortable they feel and how the fit is like a glove, like the name suggests. The shoe comes with elasticated laces which ensure a nice tight fit whilst still allowing flexibility. These shoes have a zero drop from heel to toe as opposed to the higher drop typically found on most running shoes. I gradually started using them for just a few miles a couple of times a week to start off with, just to get used to the drop. The drop is not the only thing to get used to. The soles are very thin, which means you can really feel the ground beneath you. This feels great, unless you run over stones, which you can really feel through the shoe. I think this shoe is definitely best to be kept to the road. I've found the shoe to be comfortable, but only wear it for distances up to 8 miles or so. I normally run in Adidas Adios and find myself to be slightly slower in the vapor glove (I normally run somewhere between 6 and 7 minute miles most the time). I find the shoe makes me change the way that I run. It seems to make me take shorter strides and increase my cadence. I think this is because overstriding in these shoes is painful due to the lack of cushioning. You will definitely not want to heel strike with these on. I think they're a great pair of shoes which I will keep in my rotation. I don't think I'm ready to race in them yet though, but I can't overstate how super comfortable they are, even for walking around in.

Nice wide toe box. A little bit narrow in the middle, but I do have very wide feet. Very comfortable heel band. Shoe doesn't move around when running. The upper material is not very soft though. There is excess height to the toe box which causes the material to crease and rub across the top of the feet with each stride leaving me with red sore patches on top of my feet. Hopefully they will break in. The extra width, height and sole design, which goes over the top of the toes, does give the shoe a slightly 'clownish' look rather than the snug fitted look of Five Fingers type shoes. The red coloured ones had a 'plastic' look to them which detracted from the overall decent quality. Soles are Vibram and excellent. Very good ground feel but with slightly more padded protection than my Vibram V-Run. Which is exactly what I wanted. I got the Saffron coloured Vapour Glove which looked better quality than the red, less plastic like. They have a black tongue which makes the whole shoe look better quality. I will use these for cycling, walking round town as well as running. For half the price of Five Fingers, worth having for sure.

As someone who has naturally ran in a minimalist way for my entire life i am very grateful for the amount of 'proper' running shoes there are on the market these days.These merrels are perfect for me for a few reasons:The toe box is roomy, allowing for good toe spread (important for balance and distribution)The grip is excellentThe sole offers protection without being obtrusive (enough flex but not too much 'feel' from road debris)The lacing system offers real security when using the 'lock lace' method available with the eyelets.i find these extremely comfortable and liberating to run in without causing me injury or discomfort (blisters etc)i run 5k 3 times a week and have done for 2 months and the construction seems to be holding up well.I Imagine if you are looking for at these shoes you know what they are, however (in the most un-patronizing way possible) if you are not a 'minimalist' runner do next expect to don these shoes and run as such. it comes with time concentration and effort; expect decreased running times and pains in areas you didn't know existed at first. you will 100% injure yourself if you just put these on and run after years of using thick chunky nikes.if you already are an accomplished 'barefoot' (hate the term) runner then i would say if road running is your main focus these will be perfect for you!

I've recently started running more regularly and I've started racking up some big mileage with some 30-mile weeks. After big runs, I was noticing that my knees would be really sore and it would take quite a few days to recover. I'd been hearing about barefoot running shoes for a long time so I thought I'd give them a go and I'm so pleased I did!It definitely does take some getting used to... more than anything your calves will need to adjust because the lack of cushioning forces you to run more on the balls of your feet. My first run was 11 miles (probably not the best idea) and while it did feel amazing, I paid the price for about a week afterwards. But I love the tactile response you get from the ground underneath you and I have had zero knee pain since using these.The best thing for me is they're so small (you can literally fold them up) they hardly take up any space in a backpack or suitcase, which has always been a problem for me in the past. I couldn't possibly think about going back to normal running shoes!