Merrell Trail Glove 6: Has the Barefoot King Lost Its Way?

Okay, confession time: I’m a bit of a barefoot running nut. For years, the Merrell Trail Glove has been my shoe, the one I grab when I want to feel the trail under my feet. I still remember that first run – talk about freedom! So, naturally, when Merrell announced the Trail Glove 6 with promises of a better fit and tougher build, I was all in.

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Fast forward a few weeks and fifty-ish miles later, and I’m… conflicted. Merrell definitely tweaked a few things, but are they actually improvements? Let’s dig in.

First, the good stuff. That new upper? Seriously beefed up. I’ve been putting these things through the wringer – scrambling over rocks, kicking up dust – and they’re not showing any wear. Plus, I can sleep a little easier knowing Merrell’s using recycled stuff and those algae-based midsoles. Every little bit helps, right? And yeah, when you first slide them on, you still get a hint of that classic Trail Glove vibe – light, flexible, ready for anything.

But here’s where things get sticky. That “improved” fit? For my feet, at least, it feels like a step in the wrong direction. One of the things I always loved about the Trail Glove was the roomy toe box – space for my toes to wiggle and do their thing. The 6? Not so much. It feels… narrower. Snug, even. I actually ended up with a blister on my pinky toe after a particularly brutal run – something that hasn’t happened in ages!

And then there’s the arch support. Look, I get it, some folks want that. But on a shoe that’s supposed to be all about feeling the ground, it feels… weird. It’s not crazy aggressive, but it’s definitely there, and I found it kind of distracting, especially when the trail got gnarly. Felt like the shoe was trying to tell my foot what to do, which is exactly what I don’t want in a barefoot shoe.

The sole? Grippy as heck, thanks to the Vibram rubber. But it’s also stiffer. That ground feel, the whole point of the Trail Glove, feels… muted. I had to work harder to stay connected to the trail, and that effortless flow I’m used to just wasn’t there. Bummer.

So, the verdict? The Merrell Trail Glove 6 is okay. Runners who are new to the barefoot thing, or who like a little more support, might dig it. But as a long-time Trail Glove fan, I can’t help but feel like Merrell’s lost the plot a little. It’s like they tried to make it more “mainstream,” and in doing so, they sanded off some of the edges that made the Trail Glove so special.

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If you’re a barefoot purist, try before you buy. Or maybe hunt down a pair of the older models. The Trail Glove 6 isn’t a bad shoe, but it’s not the barefoot soulmate it used to be.