Merrell Trail Glove: Purchased and now bummed!

The Trail Gloves felt weird under my forefoot. The search continues…

My girlfriend and I both liked the merrells alright…until we tried the new balance. She went with the minimus and I got the MT100 something or other. Now the merrells just feel whack, ha.

"For a $100 shoe, I didn't think the durability looked all that great, particularly the sole"

What are you looking to use the shoes for?

I have been running in MT10s for about a year now. The sole seems durable enough. It has far outlasted the soles of my MT101 shoes, but I don't know how many miles I have on either of them. 101 gets used for longer runs and hikes while the MT10 probably gets more frequent use during any given week. I'm not particularly happy with the performance of the sole in either shoe though. Wish they were stickier on rock and wish the MT101 could handle mud and leaves a little better (I never had hopes of the MT10 handling mud or leaves). The MT10 sole is kind of hard. You can hear it slap/smack the ground on harder terrain. I would rather it had a soft compound that wears faster and sticks better. Particularly given that the upper is likely where your durability concerns should fall.

"What are you looking to use the shoes for"?

Backpacking (90% on trail) while carrying 8 lbs or less on my back.

The soles worry me most on the NB10…particularly being that I seem to recall someone on here posting about the Vibram delaminating from the foam part of the sole.

"The soles worry me most on the NB10…particularly being that I seem to recall someone on here posting about the Vibram delaminating from the foam part of the sole."

Double check the post where you saw that, because I think they were referring to the MT00 and not the MT10 if I know the post you're talking about. Different soles. Mine haven't shown any signs of delamination, though I haven't used them in any extremely hot conditions (all my use has been on trails in the northeast for trail running).

For backpacking I would probably consider something with better grip and a rockplate, but I don't know what your trails look like and your 8lb load is really light, so might not matter too much. MT110 looks promising, but I haven't used it. It's made on the same last as the MT10. I know the MT10 feels nicer on the foot than the MT101 though, so that could be a factor. That's me though. Take it with a grain of salt.

Nathan,

You may be right about the different shoe. However, I believe the guy said the same in this video review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-i6awFhr9Y

I'd like better grip than the MT10 too. The Vivobarefoot Breatho looks great…but I'm gun shy about ordering shoes now.

I've worn my new Trail Gloves around the house on carpet only for 20 mins (with socks)…and honestly, it is a relief taking them off.

Addie Bedford
Forum Moderator

It's a shame that the Pace Glove aren't working for you. I have been wearing them for running for nearly a year, and the sole is finally on the point of wearing through–though the upper is still pristine. I have found them very comfortable. I also have the NB MT10's and like them, too. I did get them for half price, so if they aren't as durable as the Merrells, I'll still get my money's worth. The fit is different, but still comfortable, and so far it is more durable than it looks.

I really like the new balance minimal last. I have 110s and minimus roads. I dont have a wear report for the 110s yet as snow is still on most of the trails around here. The shoe i think will be perfect for is the new MT1010 coming in August.

http://www.irunfar.com/2011/12/new-balance-minimus-amp-mt1010-preview.html

I love my Trail Gloves; I ran in them all last year. Sometime in July I tried the New Balance MT10 and didn't like the band across the top of the foot because it felt too restrictive. But a shoe's fit is going to vary from person to person so if the TGs don't feel right, definitely try another shoe.

Thanks for the additional replies, everyone.

I'm super bummed. Really wanted these shoes to work. If I made money hand over fist, and spending was my thing, I'd just order every shoe that looked interesting. But……

At any rate, I've decided to sell the Trail Gloves. I'm either going with the NB MT10s which, I already know feels good on my feet, or take a chance on ordering and get the Vivobarefoot Breatho Trail. Though a little heavier, the latter looks like it would have everything I think I'd like in a backpacking shoe. I've started another thread hoping to catch the eye of Vivobarefoot owners for input.