I have increased my mileage in these Trail Gloves to 42.2km and will soon try them out in my first 125km race. And if it wasn't for barefooting, I wouldn't be running at all anymore. Thank you Merrell for making the perfect shoe, and please never discontinue or "improve" these shoes too much! Between my wife and I, I have already bought 4 pairs and will buy more.

I’ve had these shoes for about three months and am very impressed with the fit and comfort. I’m more of a weekend warrior than competitive runner and just transitioning to the minimalist style. I completely agree with other reviewers to transition slowly and follow the advice found on this website and other sources. The only drawback I’ve found is that although traction is great on dry surfaces, it’s a bit slick when wet.

I have been running in my new trail gloves for the last month and the feeling is just awesome! I started the year running in my usual Nike runners and then a month ago I changed to my trail gloves and although I loved running before, it's almost an addiction now! I go running up Nose Hill in Calgary, Alberta for some decent elevation gain and I cannot stop smiling everytime I get into it. I tore my left achilles about 3-4 years ago and with the new shoes in the past month, I can feel that both my calves, ankles and feet feel a lot more balanced and stornger. I have even felt like a preacher at times, getting my fiance, my roomate, my mother-in-law, my borther-in-law and even some coworkers to go and buy a pair!

This is my shoe. It got me through the winter to now, when I don't have to wear shoes any more. Fit is perfect, especially with the adjustments possible with the laces. The flexibility is ideal. This quickly became my everything shoe, and I wore them throughout the winter. Next year, though, I will get a 3rd, bigger pair so I can put more socks on my feet for those really cold, wet runs. I have a pair of lightly-used vibram Bikilas (green and "ecru") that I'll never use again. I wonder what's the best way to get rid of them?

By Lawrence 3/6/2012 Was this review helpful? / I have been running in Merrell Trail Gloves for over a year now. I was previously running in N.B. 101’s, decent shoes, but nothing like the T.G. I am a 61 year old runner who has won many master’s races, and I had been looking for shoes that were like tough track flats. I was happy to find these, and I love them more with each outing. Let me count the ways: 1. Great outsole. Very tough Vibram. After one year of regular running on trails and roads, they still have many miles left. The sole has just enough thickness to protect the foot against small stones, ice, etc. The forefoot plate has no marked effect on flexibility, but gives a little extra protection against stone bruises. You can still barrel down that rocky trail. 2. Fabulous, unique lacing system that uses loops to draw the outsole up around the foot. There is a flexible section of the outsole that allows this. Some have suggested that, because they feel the instep drawn up against the foot that this show provides “support”. Nonsense. There is no more support in this shoe than there is in a snug sock. I was at first mildly annoyed at the time it takes to put on and take off this shoe. Now I am happy to take the time, in the knowledge that, once on, the unique lacing allows a very snug midfoot fit, while still allowing the forefoot to have natural spread. Running on uneven surfaces is a joy, as there is absolutely no sliding around of the foot in the T.G. 3. I love the narrow midfoot part of the outsole and the rounded heel. I run on what I call in my running workshops the “dogfoot”, so the heels of my shoes never touch the ground, except for the occasional rock that pokes up to meet them (so the Vibram protection is worth having). 4. The uppers are very durable, flexible, and breathable (maybe a little too breathable for those sub-zero winter days, but I can live with that). The shoes are washable, although all I have needed to do is to sponge them off occasionally. 5. The fit is fabulous, at least on my particular foot. They are made to wear barefoot, with a nice, smooth, antibacterial lining, but I pretty much always wear a thin sock with them. I can wear them tighter than I have ever worn running shoes, with almost no space between the tips of my toes and the shoes, because the foot doesn’t slide around in T.G.s. That about does it. One thing I’d like to see from Merrell is some kind of barefoot winter boot. I have 2 pair of Tough Gloves that I wear at work and at home. I bought a barefoot boot from another manufacturer, but it isn’t the same fit or feel. http://www.alexandertechnique-running.com