The latest Barefoot line up from Merrell have been absolutely the best shoes I have run in for quite some time. I have been running in the Barefoot arc 2 for about a year now along with VFF's for about the past 3 years. Once I saw the Vapors I just had to try them out. The fit may feel a size too big at first but once you get settled into the shoe it seems to form to your foot like most Merrell shoes do. The toe box is perfect leaving enough room for the toes to do what they need to do during the run. I bought this shoe to try them out and have since then ordered all available colors. If you like VFF's you will love this shoe
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I've never reviewed anything but felt the need to with these because they are an extraordinary product.
First thing to mention is that I live in a beach community and have always run barefoot on the beach. BUT, I also ride a mountain bike to the beach (quickly not for leisure) and barefoot pedaling just won't cut it I've fallen enough with the skinny tires I have on sandy roads to know they need protection. So....
First thing go a 1/2 size small at least! I like my athletic shoes to be compact on my foot and ended up a full size down on these.
As for feel/performance.... I tried the Vibram KSO, and absolutely loved the feel (like there's nothing even on my foot), however my toes are somewhat crooked and after messing with them for 30 minutes I'd generally just give up on them. In comparison, the Merrells are not quite as comfortable on the top of the foot I can tell there are laces but it's not uncomfortable (I don't wear socks with the Merrells). If the Vibram foot comfort is a 10, the Merrell is an 8. In terms of comparing to barefoot, the Merrell is pretty much perfect I can feel everything below my foot, there is no unneeded rise or padding (4mm sole made by Vibram I believe), but I don't need to constantly look at the ground to watch for every little shell that crosses my path. And I can ride the bike with the gnarly teeth in the pedals with no problem at all. The sole's grip, in fact, was far superior to the Vibrams when on the bike. Which is also something to note the grip on these is also fantastic with one caveat... after my run on the beach the sand does get caught in the tread (as would be expected) and does compromise the traction. A few good stomps gets the majority of it out but I always need to really smack them together to dislodge it all. Again, though, it's sand and I tend to run through the water at time just cause it's so awesome to have finally found a perfect shoe for my needs. Which brings me to my final point they don't have a problem being wet. You get a bit of noise from them, but no noticeable weight difference, my foot doesn't slide around, and no problems once they dry out (that I've noticed after 2 weeks).
Overall these are a revolutionary product in my opinion the perfect solution for a biker/runner/swimmer. I haven't tried any other sports in them, but I have worn them casually and even then they just feel good protection for the feet but not all the bulk! I can't say enough about how happy I am with this purchase and the one person that also got them on my suggestion (who is not a "barefooter" at all) also loves them. Hope this helps someone I say go for it if you're looking for a minimalist sneaker!
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I'm a skateboarder, and have found minimalist running shoes to be the best skate shoes. I've been skating in a pair of Minimus (don't know the model) I bought marked-down at the local mall eight months ago, but they are starting to wear. I just received the Vapor Gloves and took them out for a spin this evening. Very comfortable and very grippy. I ride an un-gripped homemade wooden longboard deck and the Merrill's provide excellent traction even after a soaking in this evening's downpour which caught me just before I got back to my car. I felt very connected to my board and to the asphalt. It's close, but I think I prefer them to my old Minimus, which may not be fair as the NB's had served well for months and are worn from extensive use.
I like the Vapor Glove styling and the wide toe area. I did buy them 1/2 size smaller than usual after reading other reviews here and am glad that I did. They fit well and there's still enough room for socks. They are 1/2 size smaller than my Minimus and the fit is very close, maybe even slightly looser.
The Vapor Gloves seem well-made and I'm hopeful that they will last. Plan to update this review in a few months. I give these five stars for skating. Skaters you should try minimalist running shoes. Runners you should try longboarding!
Honest reviews on Merrell Men's Vapor Glove Minimal Running Shoe
The good:
These shoes feel very light (I weighed one at 5.95 oz, size 10.5). Unlike similar-weight water socks, they stay on solidly, and the little bit of structure in the heel makes them pretty stable in side-to-side motions. The mesh over the toes and on the sides is very thin, allowing for good ventilation, but looks and feels sturdy. The tongue is slightly padded, which is fine. The sole itself is reasonably flexible and fairly protective when walking on gravel, riding a bike, etc. I was hoping it would be a bit thinner for more of a barefoot feel, but it's comparable to the KSO, which is not bad. The tread is nice and grippy, although it does tend to trap dirt and little pebbles underneath. The extension of the rubber over the toes is a nice protective feature. Overall, the look and feel is nice.
The not-so-good:
First of all, I normally wear an 11 but based on other reviews I ordered a half size down. I'm still not sure if this was a good idea. See, the length is a little longer than I would prefer. My big toenail (which is cut pretty short) tends to catch on the bottom edge of the rubber toe-lip when I flex my toes, which wouldn't happen if the end of my toe were closer to the end of the shoe. But the toe box feels narrow. I don't normally wear wides, but with a minimal shoe I think I should be able to spread my toes out when I walk, and in the vapor glove I can't spread them as far as I'd like. They're a big improvement over track spikes or, really, most other sport shoes, but the mesh does end up pushing my big toe into my second toe and curling my little toe inward a bit. This may not bother most people very much.
The bad:
So I put these shoes on (without socks, which is how I intend to wear them in general) and I wore them for a few hours of intermittent walking with a couple minutes of light jogging. After a while I started to feel a hot spot on the knuckle of the fourth toe of each foot, right where it sits under the edge of the tongue. But when I took the shoes off to see if there was a bit of pointy stitching or something, I realized it wasn't a hot spot at all--the shoe was sticking to my toe and pulling on the skin and hair every time I took a step. Turns out the lining flap underneath the lacing loops isn't sewn down, it's glued with some kind of sticky-note glue that doesn't keep it in place at the edges. I may have to sew the ends of the flaps in place myself to solve this problem, which seems a little nuts for an $80 pair of shoes. It makes me wonder what other pieces might start to come apart over time.
I'm still planning to wear them as everyday shoes, so really my rating is more like a 3.5, and I'll try to remember to update after a few months to comment on durability. But until I figure out the stitching issue I won't be able to do long runs in them, and the squished toes mean I might not really want to anyway. I'm left wondering if the Vibram EL-X would have been a better choice.
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I bought these to wear for a warrior dash, but as I broke them in they quickly became my favorite running shoe. I can say with some confidence that I will likely never buy a non-minimalist running shoe. I have ran about 50 miles in them so far and there is no sign of wear whatsoever. Even after running through the mud and climbing obstacles at the Warrior Dash they came clean spraying with the hose. The running form is a little different than a traditional shoe. Even with less padding the impact feels lower. I have zero pain in my knees. Your calves will be sore at first as those muscles are used more. This shoe seems to be a like a good choice for a mix of trail and road running. My next pair will be the Merrell Road Glove 2.
