Simply the best barefoot shoe ever made
Anonymous runner · Aug 14, 2019
5/5
Overall
There is no doubt about it - there is no better shoe on the market for barefoot runners looking to provide minimal protection for their skin than the Vapor Glove 3. It gives you the full barefoot feel. It supports excellent form and posture. It's how your foot is designed to land.
The only downsides? I don't wear the VaporGlove to race.I need something marginally thicker to race in. I've found I exist in a very niche (nonexistent?) market of serious, subelite runners training for mile-10k on the track who care about barefoot running. As such, it's difficult to find something that is close to barefoot but allows me to race without having to watch my step. The two I've found are the Saucony Havoc XC2 flat (good for trail racing for barefoot runners) and the Saucony Men's Endorphin Racer 2 Track Shoe.
The other consideration with the Merrell Vapor Glove 3 is that for a serious runner who puts in 70-100 miles per week, they will not last very long. 2 months if you're lucky. The upper will split apart in that time, however, i typically just sow them back together and extend their life another month or so.
If you shop around, this doesn't need to be a particularly pricey shoe. I've found it for $40-50 online. Can sometimes run up to $70-80. The new Vapor Glove 4 is exactly the same thing and is being sold for much more.
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 2/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 4/5
