MerrellMen's Vapor Glove 6 Sneaker

Back in 2018–2019, I picked up a pair of Trail Glove 3s (I believe that was the current model at the time). They were exactly what I was looking for: minimal, very flexible, and overall a barebones type of shoe. The kind where you can feel the ground beneath you (sometimes a little too much, but that’s the point), while still offering more protection than being barefoot.Later on, I tried one of the newer Trail Glove models, the 6s if I remember correctly, and accidentally got a half size too small. Even so, they became a favorite after breaking them in. They felt a bit stiffer than the older model, but still great for the all trails, even the rockier ones I find myself one from time to time. However, I was curious about a possibly even more minimal feeling shoe.That led me to try the Vapor Gloves, and I quickly realized these were the true barefoot feel I had been looking for.So all of this is to say: on a scale of 0 to 5, where 5 is a thick, cushioned Hoka-style sole and 0 is barefoot, the Vapor Gloves are a 0.5, and the Trail Gloves are a 1.These are also wide foot friendly.

I love these and use them as everyday shoes. I've tried a few zero-drop shoes and keep coming back to this brand. the black on black is subtle enough to get away with wearing while slightly dressed up as well. I was a big fan of the earlier vapors but then Merrell went and started making them too skinny with high arches and they just were not comfortable. I'm so glad to see they listened to their customers and went back to a slightly wider shoe. I wear these year round, and they're holding up well. Grip in dry and wet weather is great. Breathability as well. Do know that due to the perforated fabric on top if you step in a deep enough puddle or snow, your feet WILL get wet.

They caught me off guard at first with the shape of the toe area, but man are they comfortable. I hate wearing shoes ever, even while hiking or out shopping (I still do for shopping, don't come at me, I just hate it) and these feel like you're wearing nothing. I love them. I haven't taken them on a proper hike yet, but working in the yard or going shopping for groceries, im putting these on.

high quality and comfortable shoes.

I like the shoes, very comfy and light. I wanted to try these vapor glove for a while and Im pleased. My only downside is they fit about half a size too big, especially after breaking them in, the out sole feels good on gravel or dirt trails but on regular gym floors they feel weird but it’s bearable though.

I would have never thought of getting these, always preferring sneakers with lots of support for my aging feet, but the new trainer we hired suggested that we use these to better isolate our body movements for stability during training instead of relying on our shoes to provide that stability for us. We have been using these for the last 4 months, and I have to say that he was right. Things are a little more difficult, but you get to use muscles you wouldn't normally, and paying lots of attention to your joints, to keep stable while doing weights while standing up or lunging or in any other stance where you are not sitting or lying.

I've tried other brands and styles of shoes that are made with a minimum of support to give the wearer a natural barefootish step. The Vibram toe shoes look cool but are a pain to put on. Being a big advocate of Merrill shoes, I saw these on sale and impulsively bought them because I liked the look of them. I didn't realize until I tried them on that they were the "barefoot" style but I was very pleased. The fit is fantastic and the step is natural. Once again, Merrill has impressed!

I'll preface this with, these are much better than normal shoes because of the zero drop. They are okay, the sole is a bit too thick, and there isn't much flexibility at the toe box. My biggest issue with these shoes is the toe box is too narrow, when I got them I went for a short two mile run and could feel my big toes being compressed by the sides of the shoes almost immediately. Just buy Vibram five fingers instead, they are significantly more comfortable, wider toe box and have a flexible toe box.