GO ASIA TRAIL

In this day and age when thick-soled, carbon shoes are the mainstream, I prefer barefoot shoes that go against the current trend. This is partly because thick-soled, soft-cushioned shoes do not suit my feet, but I have been running in barefoot shoes for more than 10 years. This includes the period from January 2020 to January 2023, when I was a Decathlon Ambassador. When I run ultra distance races, of course I wear shoes that are more stable, but I still think I wear lighter shoes more often than other runners.

Now, I have worn many barefoot shoes over the past 10 years: Vibram Fivefingers, Newbalance Minimus series, Tabi Shoes, Inov-8 X-Talon, Luna Sandals, merrell trail glove, Taiwan Sandals, etc. However, many manufacturers have recently started to make less thin-soled shoes, and the current trends of "thick soles," "max protection," and "carbon" have become the mainstay of their products. Well, this is not necessarily a bad thing, and I have heard here and there of people breaking their own personal bests and running 100-mile races thanks to Max Protection. I just don't wear them because they don't fit my feet.

So this time, I decided to buy a new pair of barefoot trail shoes for the first time in a while, and as a result of continuous searching, I decided to choose the Merrell Trail Glove 7. Merrell has been making barefoot trail shoes in the form of the Vapor Glove and Trail Glove since about 10 years ago, when barefoot trail shoes were at the peak of their popularity. In fact, I wore the first generation of the Merrell Trail Glove when I was running in the mountains, and it is a shoe that I still remember.

I have worn the Trail Glove 7 for about 20 km on trails and roads, and I think it is my first hit in a long time, so I decided to write this article. In conclusion, I would recommend these shoes to a fairly wide range of runners.

The Merrell Trail Glove 7 is a barefoot shoe, but it has the thickest sole in the barefoot world.

The original Trail Glove, released about 10 years ago, was a completely minimalist shoe with a flimsy, thin sole, but the specifications have clearly changed. However, there is another Merrell minimalist trail shoe, the Vapor Glove, which has no midsole and has a 6mm sole, so the Trail Glove I was wearing at the time has been succeeded by the Vapor Glove.

The Trail Glove 7 is a zero-drop shoe, which is super lightweight among trail shoes (219g for 26.5cm). When actually running and wearing them, they are still light and allow for very smooth movement, especially uphill on trails. Also, when running downhill, thanks to the Vibram ECOSTEP RECYCLE mule sole, the grip is quite firm, and since the midsole is minimized, it does not stimulate the sole to that extent, so you can run downhill rather safely.

On the gullies and rocky technical trails that bother me the most, my soles sometimes hurt if I run too aggressively on the stones, but if I slow down moderately, I can handle them well enough. However, I did slip on wet and rocky terrain, so be careful. The outsole is quite firm, so wet areas may be a bit of a problem, but the outsole is probably more abrasion resistant.

Also, there is a toe-guard on the toe, so there is no "toe-guard free," which is common in barefoot shoes, so I think it will limit damage if you hit a rock or something.

The most important point in choosing Trail Glove 7 is the comfort.

My foot size is 4E and I have a high instep, which limits my choice of shoes. However, I guess the design of my foot shape changed a few years ago, and although the width fits, the instep no longer fits, so I stopped wearing them. Wide width shoes of foreign brands tend to be "wide but low instep", and not only Altra but also Vivo Barefoot and Topo Athletics have similar tendency, so it is difficult to find shoes that fit...

The Trail Glove 7 is 2E in size according to the manufacturer, but it fits my feet well, probably because it is made with the height of the instep in mind. The Trail Glove 7's upper is not reinforced at all and is designed to wrap around the foot with only fabric, so it feels good to wear. I'd even wear them for everyday wear (or rather, I've been wearing them for daily use lately).

Although it is necessary to use NOODO or Grand's Remedy to prevent shoe odor, they are designed to be worn barefoot, and I personally feel that I would like to wear them barefoot.

Trail Glove 7 can be summed up in one word: "realistic barefoot trail shoes.

Barefoot trail shoes are really flimsy, and they don't have toe guards, so they are not for everyone. 10 years ago, they were probably booming and selling well, but after the trend toward "thick soles" and "max protection" shoes, they became minor shoes. They have become a minor shoe. However, I personally feel that barefoot shoes are indispensable for improving running form and expanding the enjoyment of running itself.

The Trail Glove 7 has the minimum amount of protection and cushioning, and it also has a toe guard. Still, it is lightweight, zero-drop, and has a stack height that doesn't completely ruin the underfoot feeling, so I think it is a good model for trying out a barefoot shoe for the first time.

For people like me who have been wearing Vibram Fivefingers or Wallach shoes for a long time, they can also be used as a kind of racing shoes. Recently, I have seen some events where regulations prohibit sandal-type shoes such as Wallach, etc., for the safety of the runners. Also, in the event of some sort of accident during the race, just having the minimum amount of protection necessary will provide a sense of security.

The Trail Glove 7 is a gateway to the barefoot world and a realistic barefoot trail shoe. I highly recommend it and feel that it is the first hit product in a long time. The price is 15,400 yen, and the actual price is around 13,000 yen, which is cheap for a recent trail shoe.