Merrell Men's Barefoot Vapor Glove Running Shoe Reviews

Customer Ratings:

This is a shoe I have definitely been looking forward to for the past 6 months, as I was immediately intrigued when the news about them first broke on birthdayshoes.com. Previously, I had always wondered why shoe companies didn't try to further mimmick the success of Vibram and their ultra-minimalist footwear. Luckily, our prayers have been answered with the Merrell Vapor Glove.

Merrell has really hit a home run with this brand new show. For myself, I prefer wearing a shoe with socks as I've come to the realization that getting the odor out of these shoes from running barefoot is almost impossible. Therefore, I prefer running in Injinji socks with my Vibrams (KSOs, Bikilas). However, the problem is that the socks can become a bit pricey (you purchase them by the single pair). Also, when you're clocking at least 25+ miles in them a week (even when rotating between the 10 or so pairs I have) they quickly begin to wear down in the forefoot and toe areas.

Side random note, but it's also a pain in the butt when you take Injinji socks with you for a run and realize you grabbed a pair of two left-footed socks. (who HASN'T done that???)

Which leads me to the amazing shoes known as Merrell Vapor Gloves. These shoes offer the best ground feel from a traditional "shoe" that I have ever experienced. They are definitely comparable to my Vibram KSOs, if not a bit thinner. In terms of a traditional running shoe, this is the shoe I've been waiting for. Yes, I've looked into Vivobarefoot running shoes but the price is a bit much. For the cost (I found these under 80 dollars) this is the best deal I've found. I've done several runs in them with few to no complaints.

PROS:

-Great ground feel

-Easy Lacing System

-Large toe-box

-Durable, yet very flexible

-Thin, but sturdy

CONS:

-Sizing may run a bit large for some. I normally wear a 9, but found that to be too big. Had to return for an 8.5

-A little narrow in the midfoot area (everyone has a different shaped foot, though, so it's understandable)

-Limited color options (more of a nit-pick)

Best of all, I no longer have to pay for overpriced Injinji socks! I can go to Target and buy 10 pairs of sock liners for 12 bucks and save plenty of money! Thanks Merrell!

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I've been using a minimalist running technique for over 7 years now, and have tried all sorts of different shoes, including H Street, FiveFinger, Primal Origins, RunAmoc, Kigo Shel and huaraches. The Vapor Gloves are easily the best running shoes I have seen.

They are super-light and super-flexible. The ground feel is excellent. There is no weird arch support like in some of the other Merrell shoes. They are about as close to barefoot as you are going to get while still having a traditional lace-up shoe.

As others have noted, you should order a half-size smaller than your regular shoe size. The middle part of the shoe is also on the narrow side (similar to the H Street in that respect), but the toe box is nice and wide.

I did an easy 6-mile run with these, right out of the box. No need to break them in. They felt wonderful. No hot spots at all. I wore socks, but I plan to try them sockless soon. The inside of the shoe is pretty smooth, so that should work okay. They also have a built-in anti-odor treatment.

Merrell has a winner with these shoes! I hope they don't screw it up by trying to "improve" it.

Best Deals on Merrell Men's Barefoot Vapor Glove Running Shoe

Just as doctor's often prescribe drugs for "off-label" use, we can use shoes for purposes other than those for which they are marketed.

I have been wearing minimalist shoes for about four years. My biggest problem has always been finding something to play tennis in. Until now, the best I could find were Vivobarefoots. The problem I had with the Vivos, though, was that they have a very stiff, high, heel cup that dug painfully into my Achilles tendon. I used to cut off the top of the heel cups of my Vivos as soon as I bought them.

I have used my Vapor Gloves for tennis on four separate occasions, all on hard court. The sole wear is reasonable and their performance is excellent. I am also hopeful that the sole has a sufficiently small tread depth to allow me to play on clay courts where the management sometimes gets very picky about having proper shoes.

By the way, I once tried Vibram FiveFingers for tennis. I had read how people run in them for hundreds of miles. My VFFs had a hole in them after two weekends of tennis play.

I am writing this review in the hope that other tennis players committed to minimalist footwear will see it, so they can avoid the grief and expense I have experienced. I have already ordered a second pair of the Vapor Gloves and might soon order a third. Right now, these are the best minimalist tennis shoes around, although they are positioned as running shoes.

I have tried and discarded many different kinds of shoes for tennis and none have come close to meeting my needs the way the Vapor Gloves have. Until the day that a minimalist shoe is designed from the ground up for tennis, the Vapor Glove is a great substitute.

Honest reviews on Merrell Men's Barefoot Vapor Glove Running Shoe

So I finally made the gamble & bought a pair of US8 from Amazon. Just received them recently & the fit is perfect. Another commentator have told me to try the shoefitr web plug-in on runningwarehouse & that plug-in recommended me to go for a US7.5 Vapour Glove. Based on feedback from Merrell (as in the official company), they recommended me to go for US7.5 (I told Merrell that I fit into a US9.5 ladies' Vapour Glove & they told me the general rule is to subtract 2 sizes for Men's counterpart). Based on the general feedback from the commentators, they said to go for the same size that works for me when I tried the Road Glove 2, i.e. US8.5. So, factoring the various "vibe" that I got from Amazon & other Merrell online retailers (that the Vapour Glove "wears large"), I decided to gambled for an US8.0 of the Vapour Glove from Amazon & the fit...well, it's awesome. Here's a photo of me with my foot all the way to the front; notice I can still stick a finger in: http://i.imgur.com/xtrBECy.jpg

So, really, thanks fellows! For making this happen! For those who are "forced" to purchase online without the opportunity to try on this specific model physically, do note the other shoe brands & models that I tried (a few posts above). Thanks again fellows!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Merrell Men's Barefoot Vapor Glove Running Shoe

If you like Vibrams, you will love these. They have every bit as much foot feel (proprioception) as Vibrams (The fact that the souls are made by Vibram might have something to do with that), but without the mixed blessing of individual toes. I love the feel of the individual toes when running, But getting into the shoes sometimes can be awkward, once in a while I snag my toes on things, and they're definitely not inconspicuous when you're using on the street shoes. Not that these shoes in the bright orange I got are exactly subtle, But I actually think these are great looking shoes and I've had lots of compliments on them, whereas the Vibrams tend to look shall we say, "unusual".

I've had these for a couple months now and I use them for street use and casual running and I couldn't be happier.

But be forewarned the soles are superflexible and have no cushioning whatsoever. If you want something less minimalistic look elsewhere, but these were exactly what I was looking for. I had tried on two or three different types of older Merrell shoes in the Glove line and found their soles super stiff and uncomfortable. These are completely different, night and day.