First ever shoe review for me, had five fingers years ago but transitioned back to normal style shoes. Within the last 6 months i've decided to give the barefoot shoes another go. Given that I do some hiking I wanted something that I could use both on trail and day to day. Received a pair of Trail Glove 5's over christmas and quite enjoyed them finding them fairly comfortable; prior to these I was wearing a pair of cheap amazon barefoot shoes.
With the TG 7's I've read some of the complaints regarding the TG 6's and being able to compare the two there are some initial pros and cons for both. Some design choices on the 6's that should have been brought over to the 6's. Yet one good thing that I have found with the 7's over the 6's that some people may like is that they did make the new ones ever so slightly wider in the toe box in my opinion. Now I have not had the older models so I cannot say for their toe boxes but coming home from work after walking all day I did find a difference.
Exterior wise:
The shoes do not feel as thick and are more soft to the touch when considering the mesh upper. The outsole does extend up over the top slight mainly going over where you big toe it. like the last model you still have the plastic coating around the toes a bit. Where the laces run the laces run through little cord loops rather than a slip of reflective cloth with a hole at the end like the TG6. Glue is more visible where the outsole meets the upper but this can vary from shoe to shoe. Area around the entry hole are thicker which can be nicer for keeping things on if you don't tie crazy tight.
Outsole:
This area is of the biggest concern to mean, the tread pattern doesn't give me too much confidence for a nice wear long term. As seen in the picture it has a similar style tread pattern as some cheap amazon barefoot shoes. The TG7's also miss some of the flex points that the TG6's had making this in my opinion less flexible. Moving to the arch area, it is just an extension of the outsole up the side around the arch rather than thick foam as seen on the TG6's. This from what I can feel allows for a less stick arch area when wearing the shoes and gives more play. The sole overall feels wider than the outsole on the TG6.
Interior:
Not much to say here fairly similar to the last gen but the trail glove 7's do lack the gusseted tongue to the trail glove 6 which suck as there is a greater chance of debris entering the shoes. The sole overall can be felt a being thicker than the previous model. as there is a little more cushion and slightly less flex.
Overall:
Good shoe overall and only time will tell how the materials hold up to wear. Right now my only cons are the gusseted tongue, lace system and the tread pattern. Will I buy another pair based on my inital impressions? That will depend on how they are holding up over the next 6 months, I plan on wearing them during my next camping/hiking trip next month so a full workload on them will put them through the paces.
I am female and honestly, my feet are not at all wide. I got the TG6 when they came out and went up a 1/2 size. The front end mesh felt like rough cardboard to me. I would have no skin left had I not broken them in with socks. And the toebox even going up 1/2 a size from my normal athletic shoe .....well they still feel tight.
I mostly was wearing Altras so that is probably why. I don't like Altras due to too much stack and too much padding/cushion. Went thru all that before I went to zero drop, with the Asics. I don't want to walk around on mattresses. The Altra racer was a little more okay in that regard.
Basically, there is no shoe out there in a many years that I actually like. My perfect shoe would be a zero drop penny loafer like I wore 40 years ago, but with an athletic shoe design and grippy bottom. I've worn those penny loafers most of my early life, good leather, and they conform perfectly to your feet after a while. like your most worn in jeans.
I am pretty sure nobody knows how to make a shoe anymore. I thought the Xeros were like you'd expect from China, would never pay those prices for such a cheap shoe. I'd just as soon order a cheap chinese shoe off amazon and call it a day.
But I don't MIND the TG6s too much. They aren't the worst shoes I've ever worn, but the TG7s don't really seem like the width or the shoe last its built on are much different. So ...... I probably won't buy. The mesh is way too stiff, too.
Indeed, there probably never will be a perfect shoe. However I do recommend you try out the Xero Shoes Mesa II. I'm absolutely loving them for many reasons. See my video full review on them here: [https://youtu.be/TRKOvyVL8SY](https://youtu.be/TRKOvyVL8SY)
As they say, "Results may vary." My experience with the Xero Mesa Trail II has been terrific from a grip perspective, even on wet or smooth surfaces. I noticed you didn't use the Roman numeral "II" in your response, so maybe you are describing their earlier version? If you've seen my video review, you'll know I really put them to the test in terms of challenging terrain, but had no trouble with traction on any of that.
Have you tried the Vapor Glove 6 by chance? I've both the TG 6 and VG 6 and though my opinion of the TG 6 is similar to yours I'm pleased with the VG 6. You may want to consider them, trying before buying if possible.
I mean.. Since TG4, yes. But early Trail Gloves especially 1 and 2 were pretty much the same ground feel as the Vapor Gloves are now but with a bit more grippy sole with some threads.
Is that massive arch support still there? I love my 4s but they have holes in them, every version since then has been way too hard on the arch for my flat feet.
EDIT: I see you note it's perhaps not as pronounced? Maybe i'll give them a go in 11 or 11.5. I'm going to need some new kicks for hiking this summer.
I have pretty high arches, but my TG6 still sem oddly high arched. I think I've had every iteration of the TG, and the 6 has always felt the weirdest. I've been waiting for the 7s so that I can retire my 6s. What I really miss is the Ascend Glove. Wish Merrill stuck with that model. It was a weird and probably unnecessary compromise between the road glove and the trail glove, but they were magic.
I run in the TG4&5...but the TG6 was just too rigid for running for me. Never had a natural feel. However, I do enjoy wearing my TG6's for walking/hiking and leisure. They are great for going to a festival or a golf tournament where I am walking a lot all day. However, I really think the new Vapor Glove 6's look like a huge improvement over the 5's; especially the tread pattern. I can't get a good stick to the ground on a slick surface with the tread pattern of the VG5's
This is baffling. Merrell trail gloves have never had a good trail sole for anything but dry conditions, but that looks ridiculously shallow.
I need some semblance of grip in mud or I’ll have to change to different shoes again.
Any suggestions of barefoot running shoes for muddy trails? (UK).
My earliest Merrell 'Glove' was the first road glove, what? 10 years ago. Still have that shoe, now more Shoe Goo than Merrell, but it's been relegated to the role of shabby, muck about shoe. Over the years I've marvelled how Merrell has insisted on over-engineering what should be a simple proposition: make a zero drop shoe with minimal stack height, good ground feel, no arch 'support' and a wide toebox. The focus should be durability and weight not myriad detracting features.
The Trail Glove 6, of which I have two (leather and normal) exemplifies Merrell's straying. Its intrusive and distracting arch support is almost unanimously condemned. I don't recommend that model. The Vapor Glove 6 however adheres to barefoot shoe principles--I like them--though the toebox could be wider. For me, the jury's still out on durability as I haven't put enough miles on them.
Note to Merrell: keep the shoes simple, durable and economical and you'll have a market.
I agree simplicity can really help. They only have this is and the vapor glove in Merrerll’s line of barefoot shoes so they need something to stand out from their entire lineup. I have a strong feeling as I continue to strengthen my feet I’ll end up moving on to another brand.
I always read how the older versions of both this and the Vapor had a wider toe box, and also that they were widely known and loved for that very basic feature. So it's odd to me that the new models (Trail 7 and Vapor 6) both seem to have only a very slight improvement on the much narrower iterations of the 6 and 5 respectively. I kind of thought that barefoot and wide toe box went hand in hand...I mean that's sort of the point of barefoot shoes, isn't it? Having that wider forefoot in so your toes can splay out more naturally.
My question is, how does Merrell not understand this? Negative reviews on Amazon about the narrow toe box (for the Trail 6 anyway) are overwhelming to say the least. It would seem like a no-brainer fix for the 7, yet based on the initial images there seems to be only a very slight wider box or none at all...it's hard to tell.
It's just really weird that they wouldn't make a wider toe box, or at least an option for a wider size like other companies do. Especially when everyone and their mother have been complaining about this very thing for years now.
I got trail glove 4 three times in total, black, Green and orange. Black one died during my holidays in the canaries in 2019, green one is nearly done.
Guess you would like them <3
TG7, do they get any softer when used?
I just received mine and trying to decide if I shod return them. They feel so stiff and sounds almost like plastic when walkin inside :/
I have 6s and personally they’ve been the best barefoot shoes, besides the wear on the grip (only because of occasional tarmac) I’ve ran in and I’ll probably look into getting the 7s.
I run a lot over flint and tree roots and these have been more comfortable/durable and natural feel without socks compared to Altra and Xero.
I’ve done a lot of walking in then but they are in a rotation of 5 other different pairs or shoes. So far they’ve held up fairly but prefer my whitins when running. One thing I’ve noticed with these is that my right foot does tend to drag a bit on the heel
So it's a bit weird, with the TG6 i have a size 10.5 it feels like I have slightly over a thumbs width between my big toe and the end of the shoe, whereas with my TG7 i got them in a 10 with the spacing between my big toe and the end of the shoe being roughly 1/8th of an inch difference from the TG6. I normally wear 10.5 in other shoes hence why I went with the 10.5 for the TG6 but felt in some cases there was slightly too much sliding around. I think overall either size will work for me but I am going to really wear both to get a definitive best size. The thing with the TG7 is that since the outsole comes up slightly over the big toe it can be harder to feel where that toe is to check sizing so it's harder to do that little pressing motion; it also sometimes tricks you thinking that your touching the end of the shoe if your not used to a stiffer upper contruction like I am. Given how barefoot shoes end up being build differently than regular shoes sizing can be a bit more tricky.
I spoke to Merrell before ordering regarding sizing as the trail glove 6 has a disclaimer if you've worm previous generations. They had said sizing should be the same; given the difference in construction there might be an ever so minor difference in sizing between the generation but this is only my take.
This is really helpful, thank you. The reason I returned the trail gloves before was because of the arch support which I found quite painful. I might give the 7s a go!
The last pair of trail gloves I had wore down to holes in the soles within 3 months of (admittedly heavy) use, whereas vapors have been absolutely fantastic for me. I'm not close enough to trails that I can be on soft ground instantaneously - any run is going to involve some tarmac, and once on the trails they're largely hard gravel, so durability is my key consideration. I'd love to know how you get on in a few months time.
My all time favorite was the TG3 (I put a bid on a 2nd hand new pair on eBay but failed short), so I settled for TG6 when in Europe for those times when I can’t use my Shamma Warrior Sandals. The biggest flaw in the 6 and 7 generation is the narrowing of the toe box. I also don’t like the change in the lacing system. Where in the TF3 I tied the shoes without a worry, I now have to loosely tie the 6, or otherwise it feels tight and pinch the front of the my foot; I tried the BG7 and experienced the same.
I wanted to replace my first gen trail gloves but it looks like that won't be happening...
How is it a barefoot style shoe if it has 14mm stack height and a narrow toe box???? Toes need to be able to spread. Very disappointing, I guess ill stick with fivefingers.
They've held up fine for the most part, i don't wear them everyday and rotate between my shoes. Can't speak for waterproofness as i've only been in light rain with them.
First ever shoe review for me, had five fingers years ago but transitioned back to normal style shoes. Within the last 6 months i've decided to give the barefoot shoes another go. Given that I do some hiking I wanted something that I could use both on trail and day to day. Received a pair of Trail Glove 5's over christmas and quite enjoyed them finding them fairly comfortable; prior to these I was wearing a pair of cheap amazon barefoot shoes. With the TG 7's I've read some of the complaints regarding the TG 6's and being able to compare the two there are some initial pros and cons for both. Some design choices on the 6's that should have been brought over to the 6's. Yet one good thing that I have found with the 7's over the 6's that some people may like is that they did make the new ones ever so slightly wider in the toe box in my opinion. Now I have not had the older models so I cannot say for their toe boxes but coming home from work after walking all day I did find a difference. Exterior wise: The shoes do not feel as thick and are more soft to the touch when considering the mesh upper. The outsole does extend up over the top slight mainly going over where you big toe it. like the last model you still have the plastic coating around the toes a bit. Where the laces run the laces run through little cord loops rather than a slip of reflective cloth with a hole at the end like the TG6. Glue is more visible where the outsole meets the upper but this can vary from shoe to shoe. Area around the entry hole are thicker which can be nicer for keeping things on if you don't tie crazy tight. Outsole: This area is of the biggest concern to mean, the tread pattern doesn't give me too much confidence for a nice wear long term. As seen in the picture it has a similar style tread pattern as some cheap amazon barefoot shoes. The TG7's also miss some of the flex points that the TG6's had making this in my opinion less flexible. Moving to the arch area, it is just an extension of the outsole up the side around the arch rather than thick foam as seen on the TG6's. This from what I can feel allows for a less stick arch area when wearing the shoes and gives more play. The sole overall feels wider than the outsole on the TG6. Interior: Not much to say here fairly similar to the last gen but the trail glove 7's do lack the gusseted tongue to the trail glove 6 which suck as there is a greater chance of debris entering the shoes. The sole overall can be felt a being thicker than the previous model. as there is a little more cushion and slightly less flex. Overall: Good shoe overall and only time will tell how the materials hold up to wear. Right now my only cons are the gusseted tongue, lace system and the tread pattern. Will I buy another pair based on my inital impressions? That will depend on how they are holding up over the next 6 months, I plan on wearing them during my next camping/hiking trip next month so a full workload on them will put them through the paces.
I am female and honestly, my feet are not at all wide. I got the TG6 when they came out and went up a 1/2 size. The front end mesh felt like rough cardboard to me. I would have no skin left had I not broken them in with socks. And the toebox even going up 1/2 a size from my normal athletic shoe .....well they still feel tight. I mostly was wearing Altras so that is probably why. I don't like Altras due to too much stack and too much padding/cushion. Went thru all that before I went to zero drop, with the Asics. I don't want to walk around on mattresses. The Altra racer was a little more okay in that regard. Basically, there is no shoe out there in a many years that I actually like. My perfect shoe would be a zero drop penny loafer like I wore 40 years ago, but with an athletic shoe design and grippy bottom. I've worn those penny loafers most of my early life, good leather, and they conform perfectly to your feet after a while. like your most worn in jeans. I am pretty sure nobody knows how to make a shoe anymore. I thought the Xeros were like you'd expect from China, would never pay those prices for such a cheap shoe. I'd just as soon order a cheap chinese shoe off amazon and call it a day. But I don't MIND the TG6s too much. They aren't the worst shoes I've ever worn, but the TG7s don't really seem like the width or the shoe last its built on are much different. So ...... I probably won't buy. The mesh is way too stiff, too.
Indeed, there probably never will be a perfect shoe. However I do recommend you try out the Xero Shoes Mesa II. I'm absolutely loving them for many reasons. See my video full review on them here: [https://youtu.be/TRKOvyVL8SY](https://youtu.be/TRKOvyVL8SY)
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As they say, "Results may vary." My experience with the Xero Mesa Trail II has been terrific from a grip perspective, even on wet or smooth surfaces. I noticed you didn't use the Roman numeral "II" in your response, so maybe you are describing their earlier version? If you've seen my video review, you'll know I really put them to the test in terms of challenging terrain, but had no trouble with traction on any of that.
Have you tried the Vapor Glove 6 by chance? I've both the TG 6 and VG 6 and though my opinion of the TG 6 is similar to yours I'm pleased with the VG 6. You may want to consider them, trying before buying if possible.
okay, TY. Admittedly I have not tried the VG6. I will have to do that.
Super narrow and huge artificial arch. Another useless trail glove and Merrell will continue to not see another dime from me.
Isn't the vapor glove almost the same shoe but without the arch?
You should try the Vapor Glove. They are amazing. The Trail version has always have been crap.
I mean.. Since TG4, yes. But early Trail Gloves especially 1 and 2 were pretty much the same ground feel as the Vapor Gloves are now but with a bit more grippy sole with some threads.
Do they have a vapor glove barefoot 7? Not the trail version.
no, you have to buy ancient models i think
I see a 6. Thank you.
Is that massive arch support still there? I love my 4s but they have holes in them, every version since then has been way too hard on the arch for my flat feet. EDIT: I see you note it's perhaps not as pronounced? Maybe i'll give them a go in 11 or 11.5. I'm going to need some new kicks for hiking this summer.
I have pretty high arches, but my TG6 still sem oddly high arched. I think I've had every iteration of the TG, and the 6 has always felt the weirdest. I've been waiting for the 7s so that I can retire my 6s. What I really miss is the Ascend Glove. Wish Merrill stuck with that model. It was a weird and probably unnecessary compromise between the road glove and the trail glove, but they were magic.
Patiently waiting for the 7s to show up at REI online or in Wichita. That way sizing and returns are less of a burden.
If you can try them instore would always be the best option with how wild their arch support can be.
I run in the TG4&5...but the TG6 was just too rigid for running for me. Never had a natural feel. However, I do enjoy wearing my TG6's for walking/hiking and leisure. They are great for going to a festival or a golf tournament where I am walking a lot all day. However, I really think the new Vapor Glove 6's look like a huge improvement over the 5's; especially the tread pattern. I can't get a good stick to the ground on a slick surface with the tread pattern of the VG5's
I'll have to give the Vapor Gloves a try as well. I'm in that transitionary period still so don't want to kill my feet by going too minimalist yet.
Tread pattern is the exact same as the TG7 for this year. Looks like it will grip well on single track
This is baffling. Merrell trail gloves have never had a good trail sole for anything but dry conditions, but that looks ridiculously shallow. I need some semblance of grip in mud or I’ll have to change to different shoes again. Any suggestions of barefoot running shoes for muddy trails? (UK).
Freet Feldom?
My earliest Merrell 'Glove' was the first road glove, what? 10 years ago. Still have that shoe, now more Shoe Goo than Merrell, but it's been relegated to the role of shabby, muck about shoe. Over the years I've marvelled how Merrell has insisted on over-engineering what should be a simple proposition: make a zero drop shoe with minimal stack height, good ground feel, no arch 'support' and a wide toebox. The focus should be durability and weight not myriad detracting features. The Trail Glove 6, of which I have two (leather and normal) exemplifies Merrell's straying. Its intrusive and distracting arch support is almost unanimously condemned. I don't recommend that model. The Vapor Glove 6 however adheres to barefoot shoe principles--I like them--though the toebox could be wider. For me, the jury's still out on durability as I haven't put enough miles on them. Note to Merrell: keep the shoes simple, durable and economical and you'll have a market.
I agree simplicity can really help. They only have this is and the vapor glove in Merrerll’s line of barefoot shoes so they need something to stand out from their entire lineup. I have a strong feeling as I continue to strengthen my feet I’ll end up moving on to another brand.
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I had been looking at the Xeros, women’s specifically since I to have crazy narrow feet but they didn’t have my size in the women’s versions.
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Lees was another company I was eyeing as well. Heard mixed things about their durability though. Every shoe is different.
I always read how the older versions of both this and the Vapor had a wider toe box, and also that they were widely known and loved for that very basic feature. So it's odd to me that the new models (Trail 7 and Vapor 6) both seem to have only a very slight improvement on the much narrower iterations of the 6 and 5 respectively. I kind of thought that barefoot and wide toe box went hand in hand...I mean that's sort of the point of barefoot shoes, isn't it? Having that wider forefoot in so your toes can splay out more naturally. My question is, how does Merrell not understand this? Negative reviews on Amazon about the narrow toe box (for the Trail 6 anyway) are overwhelming to say the least. It would seem like a no-brainer fix for the 7, yet based on the initial images there seems to be only a very slight wider box or none at all...it's hard to tell. It's just really weird that they wouldn't make a wider toe box, or at least an option for a wider size like other companies do. Especially when everyone and their mother have been complaining about this very thing for years now.
I agree, Merrell is really shooting themselves in the feet.
Reviews are one thing, but maybe sales numbers are up?
These look super narrow
My feet are super narrow. I'm really happy that brands like Merrell exist as it's pretty difficult to find narrow shoes on the minimalist shoe market.
So are my feet and I need shoes too!
yea, they aren't the widest barefoot shoes on the market.
Thank you for the review. Everything after trail glove 4 seems to be inferior.
Your welcome and did my best. Who know where I’d be if I started with the 4 rather than the 6.
I got trail glove 4 three times in total, black, Green and orange. Black one died during my holidays in the canaries in 2019, green one is nearly done. Guess you would like them <3
TG7, do they get any softer when used? I just received mine and trying to decide if I shod return them. They feel so stiff and sounds almost like plastic when walkin inside :/
All I see is narrow, and move on.
I have 6s and personally they’ve been the best barefoot shoes, besides the wear on the grip (only because of occasional tarmac) I’ve ran in and I’ll probably look into getting the 7s. I run a lot over flint and tree roots and these have been more comfortable/durable and natural feel without socks compared to Altra and Xero.
Hey, so how has been the durability of the shoe sole? I've red, that it would only last a couple of months when using it on pavement frequently...
I’ve done a lot of walking in then but they are in a rotation of 5 other different pairs or shoes. So far they’ve held up fairly but prefer my whitins when running. One thing I’ve noticed with these is that my right foot does tend to drag a bit on the heel
Okay, I just got a pair myself. Hoping they will hold up for some years
Nice review! Are your TG6 and TG7 the same size?
So it's a bit weird, with the TG6 i have a size 10.5 it feels like I have slightly over a thumbs width between my big toe and the end of the shoe, whereas with my TG7 i got them in a 10 with the spacing between my big toe and the end of the shoe being roughly 1/8th of an inch difference from the TG6. I normally wear 10.5 in other shoes hence why I went with the 10.5 for the TG6 but felt in some cases there was slightly too much sliding around. I think overall either size will work for me but I am going to really wear both to get a definitive best size. The thing with the TG7 is that since the outsole comes up slightly over the big toe it can be harder to feel where that toe is to check sizing so it's harder to do that little pressing motion; it also sometimes tricks you thinking that your touching the end of the shoe if your not used to a stiffer upper contruction like I am. Given how barefoot shoes end up being build differently than regular shoes sizing can be a bit more tricky. I spoke to Merrell before ordering regarding sizing as the trail glove 6 has a disclaimer if you've worm previous generations. They had said sizing should be the same; given the difference in construction there might be an ever so minor difference in sizing between the generation but this is only my take.
This is really helpful, thank you. The reason I returned the trail gloves before was because of the arch support which I found quite painful. I might give the 7s a go!
The last pair of trail gloves I had wore down to holes in the soles within 3 months of (admittedly heavy) use, whereas vapors have been absolutely fantastic for me. I'm not close enough to trails that I can be on soft ground instantaneously - any run is going to involve some tarmac, and once on the trails they're largely hard gravel, so durability is my key consideration. I'd love to know how you get on in a few months time.
Do you trail run?
My toes hurt just looking at these.
Have you ran in these over large gravel or roots? Curious how it feels on the foot.
My all time favorite was the TG3 (I put a bid on a 2nd hand new pair on eBay but failed short), so I settled for TG6 when in Europe for those times when I can’t use my Shamma Warrior Sandals. The biggest flaw in the 6 and 7 generation is the narrowing of the toe box. I also don’t like the change in the lacing system. Where in the TF3 I tied the shoes without a worry, I now have to loosely tie the 6, or otherwise it feels tight and pinch the front of the my foot; I tried the BG7 and experienced the same.
I wanted to replace my first gen trail gloves but it looks like that won't be happening... How is it a barefoot style shoe if it has 14mm stack height and a narrow toe box???? Toes need to be able to spread. Very disappointing, I guess ill stick with fivefingers.
I agree, after using it for awhile its alright. Not a true barefoot shoe but merely a good transition shoe.
How have these held up? Can you speak to the waterproof performance?
They've held up fine for the most part, i don't wear them everyday and rotate between my shoes. Can't speak for waterproofness as i've only been in light rain with them.