Merrell Men's Vapor Glove 6 Sneaker

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If you have a flat and wider midfoot, then I could see the sole of this model bothering you. To add to this, I think if you didn’t resonate with the fit of prior Merrell Vapor Glove shoes, then you’ll find this shoe follows suit with its fit. Over the course of my testing process with the Merrell Vapor Glove 6, I’ve found a few things to enjoy with this model. The Merrell Vapor Glove 6 delivers a strong performance for the barefoot shoe lover who wants a shoe for working out but also adventuring outdoors. This shoe is what I would call a hybrid regarding its outdoor and indoor performance.

The outsole also does a pretty good job of providing traction for different exercises. When doing things like kettlebell swings and walking lunges on different surfaces, I never had slip issues with this shoe. Another thing that I think is both positive and negative about this shoe is its width. For narrow and neutral-width feet, I think you’ll enjoy the amount of room you get in the toe box for toe splay as it’s spacious but it doesn’t feel like it’s too much. If you have notably wide feet, then I would say tread lightly when looking into this shoe. This shoe should work for most, but again, if you have a flatter midfoot and arch, then you may not enjoy this shoe’s overall fit.In wider barefoot shoes, you can sometimes slide when their width doesn’t align with your foot anatomy, so this model should be perfect for narrow and neutral-width feet. For wide feet, these should work, but I don’t think they’re the best option for notably wide feet. Testing the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 for Versatile Training When it comes to daily wear, this shoe has a more “outdoorsy” look and almost gives off water-shoe vibes, so I don’t think this will be the barefoot shoe that you can wear in more formal or business casual settings.

For short runs and daily wear, this model has also performed pretty well. I think the Vibram outsole should hold up fairly well over time and I have yet to see any durability issues with this model.

On top of this limitation, I also don’t think the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 will be the best barefoot shoe for serious strength work as its lugs could be off-putting for anyone wanting a shoe to get them as close to the ground as possible. In addition, the EVA foam insole and Vibram outsole are also composed of at least 30% recycled materials. If you care about the materials used in your shoes, then I think this will be a nice pro that comes with the Vapor Glove 6. Merrell Vapor Glove 6 Cons While I think the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 is one of the stronger shoes in this line yet, there are a few cons to keep in mind before investing in this model. For hiking, I like the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 and think it will fare well for casual hikes in warmer months. The high level of breathability with this shoe is great for warm contexts, but this won’t be your barefoot shoe for hiking in cooler months, in my opinion.

On top of this, they have a good level of breathability, so if you’re doing something like HIIT or athletic-style sessions in warmer settings then I don’t think your feel will run overly hot in this model. Again, this shoe does remind me of a water shoe in many ways and I’ll definitely be using them this summer for my hikes that have creek crossings and for rainy or muddy excursions. The bellows tongue does a good job of keeping gravel and debris from getting into this shoe. I also like how the extended outsole wrap over the toe box and heel adds a nice degree of traction, protection, and durability.

Merrell Vapor Glove 6: Best Running Shoes UK

My only gripe with this shoe for versatile training is that the little arch in the sole may be uncomfortable for some as they jump more due to the arch compressing and flexing throughout your training session. Testing the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 for Hiking, Short Runs, and Daily Wear I think if you’re wanting a lightweight barefoot shoe for a little bit of everything, then the price point for the Vapor Glove 6 makes sense. This shoe does a good job of being decent for casual training and outdoor wear.

The final aspect to like about the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 is that the entirety of this shoe is pretty much built with recycled materials. For example, the mesh lining, upper, and footbed are all 100% recycled materials and so are the laces and webbing. They are incredibly lightweight, made to last as long as much burlier shoes, use mostly recycled materials, have an impressive Vibram outsole, and come in a large range of sizes and colors for men and women. Since these shoes are designed to be highly versatile, I wanted to put them to the test in a wide range of use contexts to help shed light on where they excel and where they fall short. To assess the performance of the Merrell Vapor Glove 6, I’m going to cover their performance in a wide range of contexts. I’ll discuss how they perform for lifting, versatile training, short runs, hikes, and daily wear. For the Merrell Vapor Glove 6, I think most will be safe going true to size in this model. I found the length to fit true in this shoe and they have a fairly adequate throughout the toe box.

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We like that the Vapor Glove is thoughtfully designed with the hope of an extended lifetime. Opting for abrasion-resistant Cordura mesh, the upper does a great job of balancing breathability and durability. Add in a substantial rubber toe rand and well-placed patches of TPU on the edges of the forefoot and around the heel cup, and you have a shoe with a long-lasting top half. On top of this, you may want to pass on this shoe if you’re wanting a model for functional fitness or for road running. The thinner sole and lightweight mesh upper may not be the most durable for these training contexts as well. Performance Assessment