Type a shoe name, like Pegasus, Clifton or Kayano.

Merrell Trail Glove 5

Trail shoe · Neutral · Trail · 6.6 oz

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock.

How it ranks

The Merrell Trail Glove 5’s rating is an early estimate. We’ve collected 4 runner reviews so far, with product line history also informing the score.

Merrell Trail Glove 5

of 5

Good

87
Overall
87
Value
87
Appearance
86
Comfort
82
Durability
76
Cushioning
55
Confidence

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

74 Moderate

74

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

  1. Product line track record
  2. Our ratings
  3. External ratings

What runners say

“Nice bottom foot protection from rocks and other sharps on the trail while still keeping the ground feel intact”
5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Vibram FiveFingers V-Trail
“It's wide in the front, slim in the heel”
5/5 Full review 15 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Merrell Pace Glove 1
“It's light but affords the bottom of your foot protection from rocks and roots”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Vibram FiveFingers V
“Well-designed shoe if you want more contact with your ground”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Vibram FiveFingers V
“Not quite barefoot, but still a real minimalist shoe”
5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Vibram FiveFingers V-Trail
“Very mild arch support but not like a regular shoe”
5/5 Full review 15 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Merrell Pace Glove 1
“More like a hybrid road/trail shoe”
5/5 Full review 15 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Merrell Pace Glove 1
“Very durable sole”
5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Vibram FiveFingers V-Trail
“Performs well on the road”
4/5 Full review 20 mpw came from the Vibram FiveFingers V
“Pretty minimalist”
5/5 Full review 15 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Merrell Pace Glove 1

Prefer this shoe over another

100% 3/3

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.


Pros

  • Two reviewers value the ground feel alongside protection from rocks and roots.
  • At 7.2 oz it is light, and one reviewer describes it as wide in the front and slim in the heel.
  • Durability rates 4 or 5 out of 5 from every reviewer, and one calls the sole very durable.

Cons

  • Two reviewers say there is essentially no cushioning, which both treat as the point of the shoe.
  • One reviewer calls the traction decent but not lugged enough for a pure trail shoe.

Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale

Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.

Confidence
50 60 70 80 90 100 25 50 75 100

Better Shoes Rating

Trail Glove 5 rates 87. This shoe has moderate confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Merrell Trail Glove

Each dot is one version of the Trail Glove, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.
  • Trail Glove 7

    Release year unknown · 1 review

    89 Good

    0 Confidence

  • Trail Glove 5 This shoe

    2019 · 4 reviews

    87 Good

    74 Confidence

  • Trail Glove 4

    2017 · 3 reviews

    84 Good

    54 Confidence

  • Trail Glove 3

    2017 · 1 review

    83 Good

    32 Confidence

  • Trail Glove 2

    2016 · 1 review

    78 Decent

    36 Confidence

  • Trail Glove 1

    2015 · 3 reviews

    86 Good

    75 Confidence

Runner Ratings

4 ratings
5/5 2
4/5 2
3/5 0
2/5 0
1/5 0

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight
6.6 oz
Men's / women's
Men's 7.2 oz · Women's 6.0 oz
Release
2019 Q1
MSRP
$100

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 1–3 of 3 written reviews

Minimalist but not barefoot

5/5

Overall

I am a long-time Merrell wearer. I love this shoe; it's wide in the front, slim in the heel, and pretty minimalist. It does have some very mild arch support but not like a regular shoe. No cusion, which is good. Decent traction but not super lugs, it's more like a hybrid road/trail shoe in my opinion. 

Anonymous runner · Jun 23, 2024

15 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Merrell Pace Glove 1

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
2/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Excellent minimalist trail shoe

5/5

Overall

A nice upgrade for the Trail Glove. Not quite barefoot, but still a real minimalist shoe. Fits nicely. Very durable sole. I didn't know what to do with the cushioning rating: there's no cushioning, which is the entire point. The sole is solid, with nice bottom foot protection from rocks and other sharps on the trail while still keeping the ground feel intact. 

Anonymous runner · Nov 29, 2023

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Vibram FiveFingers V-Trail

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
5/5

Trail glove 5

4/5

Overall

The reader may be looking for a very cushioned shoe I was not when I bought the trailglove five. I'm more interested in exercising my running infrastructure the strength of my ankles and the ability of my feet to spread upon landing; I'm taking care of my own cushioning to have my knees last in the long run. TR5 like the TR4 is a well-designed shoe if you want more contact with your ground. It's light but affords the bottom of your foot protection from rocks and roots that can stick up on the trails. But you also performs well on the road. This is probably my fourth pair of Trail gloves and I am still a fan.

Anonymous runner · Jul 20, 2019

20 mpw came from the Vibram FiveFingers V

Comfort
4/5
Cushioning
4/5
Durability
4/5
Appearance
5/5
Value
4/5

Alternatives

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Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Current shoe
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Lightest / Best comfort / Best value rating
Newest / Best overall / Best cushioning
Shoe properties
Type
Trail shoe
Trail shoe
Trail shoe
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
6.6 oz Lightest
—
9.7 oz
Stack
—
—
—
Drop
—
—
8mm
Release
2019 Q1
2019 Q1
2026 Q2 Newest
MSRP
$100 Lower MSRP
$140
$155
Best price
—
—
$93
Ratings
Overall
87 Good
—
92 Very good Best overall
Comfort
82 Good Best comfort
—
79 Decent
Cushioning
55 Bottom-tier
—
77 Decent Best cushioning
Durability
76 Decent
—
85 Good Best durability
Appearance
86 Good
—
95 Excellent Best appearance
Value
87 Good Best value rating
—
84 Good
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