Reviews of Merrell Women's Barefoot Pace Glove

Customer Ratings:

I love these shoes. I live in South Korea and wanted a barefoot shoe that could take the abuse of the mountainous terrain and keep my feet protected but connected (and not let every rock and bit of sand in across the top of my foot like the deeply scooped trend of most barefoot shoes.) I got them in yellow (acacia?) and they look great. They fit like a second skin and break in very quickly. I'm a solid 9, and the 9 fits me perfectly. I walk to work, hike, and play frisbee in them and they really perform in every task. My footing feels sure and comfortable and I can feel my stride improving. I was nervous about "barefoots" being able to handle the sharp rock paths and hostile sidewalks you get here, but the Vibram sole does its job. I know the rock is there. I can practically manipulate it, but it is in no way painful or damaging. Sometimes I walk the sharp rocks on purpose, just to marvel at how awesome these shoes are. I'm definitely glad I bought them.

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I have had these shoes for about 5 months

1. Since wearing these shoes my plantar fascitus is gone. My husband can touch the bottom of my feet without my muscles instantly tightenning up

2. I gradually worked up to running in these and whenever I used to run, beginning at age 15, I always got terrible shin splints, terrible terrible pain. Shin splints are not an issue anymore for me.

3. I live on a farm and there is poo everywhere (well, not everywhere, but often times a turkey or chicken will do its business in the grass and I will not see it, so I step in it. Ick.) All of my other shoes had to be scrubbed or else it would be permanently stuck. These soles clean themselves. I love it. All I have to do is walk down the driveway to get the mail and by the time I get back they are clean. I LOVE this!

4. I can wear these shoes 10x longer, 10x the miles, than I could with my old running shoes (asics kayano). Since I do not have to worry about the cussion wearing out (there isn't any) I don't have to worry about buing a new pair of shoes every few months or getting an injury because I did not switch out my shoes. This makes this shoe and incredible value. I save over $1000 in shoes every year

5. they are super lightweight

6. the upper is mostly mesh and I can feel air moving through them, very nice when it is hot.

7. they look good (I have a black pair)

cons:

1. I worry about winter (I live where it can and does get to -20 F. I guess I will have to run inside all winter because switching to a warmer shoe would mean I would not be running minimal anymore which would set me back and probably bring back some old injuries.

2. I am shorter in these shoes, they take off at least 1/2 and inch.

3. My daughter likes my shoes, but she wears an 11.5 womens and they do not makes these shoes that large, so she had to buy the mens 10.5 which has a larger toe box. I hope they make larger sizes soon.

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I admit, I'm not really a runner, but I walk a lot (~30 miles a week). Even with comfortable shoes, I tend to have random pains in my feet, knees, back or legs. These shoes were not only painless, but they seemed to work out the kinks of the previous shoes. The longer I walked, the better I felt. Like everyone says, it takes a while to build up your feet muscles, so be patient. One thing I noticed is that the soles actually seem to warm up after wearing them for a about 20 minutes so while providing excellent protection against sharp objects, they also seem to disappear. When you first put them on, they did't feel as "barefoot" as I thought they should, but that changes once you wear them for a few minutes. That little transformation made me feel better about paying close to $100 to go "barefoot". The only discomfort I ever felt was when I walked for longer distances ( > 5 miles) over asphalt. I'd get hot spots on the balls of my foot, but even those went a way after a day and I managed to walk about 9 miles down a road midday in the desert without an issue (other than sunburn). Wearing a really thin sock helps. Maybe that's not truly following the "barefoot" way, but it smells a lot better. At first they felt like they had too much material at the toe break which rubbed the top of the toes, but I realized that it had more to do with having a high arch and the top of the shoe being pushed down my foot. Once I wore them for a while and stretched out the top a little, everything was great. I took them hiking in Southern Utah for a week and walked/hiked through mountains, rocks, gravel, asphalt and sand for probably 50 miles without one issue other than having to dump out sand that would find it's way through the mess, but it was deep sand and the people in hiking boots weren't doing much better. If anything, I felt like the mountain goat of the group. You start to feel sorry for everyone else lumbering around with huge, stiff hiking boots complaining about their knees. It's also nice to only need one shoe for hiking, running or walking. They're, of course, much easier to pack. But honestly, in the end, it's just more fun to feel like your'e running around barefoot. I'm a convert.

Honest reviews on Merrell Women's Barefoot Pace Glove

Below is my original review and I have to edit it. I had purchased the 8 because, when I tried them on in the store that is all they had, and the gal said she thought the 7.5 would be to small, considering how the 8 fit my foot. So, I ordered the 8, and it just did not feel right. I realize now, with these glove like shoes, they NEED To be snug because they are meant to fit the shape of your foot very closely! So at running stores they always push a slightly larger shoe but DON'T go bigger with these. I was searching again for a winter shoe to replace my Vapor Glove, and I did not like any of the other zero drop shoes very much. So, I decided to give this shoe another try, and in the 7.5 it feels much, much better.

REALLY wanted to love these I live in Utah, and we have harsh winters and rocky mountain trails. I absolutely ADORE the Merrell Vapor Glove, so wonderfully barefoot and natural to run in. I wanted these for colder weather and rockier trails where a little more shoe might be beneficial. The problem for me was in the ball/mid foot area of the shoe here it feels like it is thicker in the sole, so when you walk, run, or even stand your toes are not touching the ground. The only time my toes made contact was on the "toe off" of your run. By the end of just a 1.5 mile run (on the treadmill, I wanted to be able to return them if necessary) the balls and arches of my feet were hurting. This is almost a negative drop, where the area on the ball of your foot is higher than the rest of your foot. I believe there is some type of rock plate or support there, specifically for trail running, but it is very uncomfortable. Other than this one feature, I loved the fit and feel of the shoe, really tried to love them...but they are not for me. If Merrell could come out with a Vapor Glove with perhaps a little more traction on the sole (not thickness, just traction) and/or a thicker upper (for colder weather) I would be sold! Oh....also...PLEASE make at least one of each style in just black, or black with a little white not all women want to look flashy in bright colors. Either that, or please make your mens shoes in smaller sizes, since they all come in a standard black in addition to the bright colors.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Merrell Women's Barefoot Pace Glove

I have been looking at this type of shoe for a long time but haven't been able to make up my mind on which one to buy. After reading some of the reviews about these shoes I was slightly hesitant to purchase them. It seemed as though people were having some trouble with the fit, with blisters, etc, but the price was too good not to give them a try. When they arrived I was pleasantly surprised. Not only are they pretty good looking, but they are also SUPER light and flexible (I know, kind of the idea, right?).

I sized up a half size thanks to all of the suggestions and I'm really glad I did! They do run on the smaller side. I normally wear a size 7 in every type of shoe and the 7.5 is just about perfect. I used band aids on the back of my heels on my first walk because I was worried about getting blisters but didn't have any trouble. I also think that they have helped me to correct my form. I must have been running really weird before because on my first run I kept wanting to place my feet in sort of a pigeon-toed manner and these shoes force you to think about the position of your feet when you hit the ground because you can actually feel it. I haven't experienced any joint pain since I have used them for running. My old shoes caused my knees and ankles to ache badly and now all I experience is some muscle soreness from getting used to a completely different running experience.

I am a happy customer so far!

7/30/13

I am still completely happy with these shoes. I have been running 1-3 miles almost daily in them and walking in them every single day and they are still great. My leg muscles are much more toned now and I experience no joint pain at all. I have found that the more you wear them the better they sort of "mold" to your feet. They are no longer tight feeling, they fit perfectly. I am trying to get my fiance to buy some as well and I tell everyone how much I love them. Great brand! I upped my rating from a 4 to a 5 because these are worth it.