Merrell Men's Vapor Glove 4 Cross Trainer

Product Information

The Vapor Glove series (both 3 and 4) are incredible shoes. Light, nimble, super adjustable, grippy and provide an amazing amount of sensitivity to ground and obstacles. Normally a traditional lace closure with such a minimal upper is room for concern, however, the Cordura mesh is uber strong and offers exceptional breathability. The ground feel is similar to the Vibram V-Alpha’s if you are looking for a closed toe shoe that keeps the excellent proprioception offered by this style of sole. Here are his thoughts on the Vapor Glove 4 (as well as the Vapor Glove 3), compared to other shoes in this space: As you would expect in a minimalist shoe, there's not much to talk about in the 3mm insole other than the fact that it's stitched into the shoe and therefore unremovable.

The heel area feels harder, and also a lot narrower, which provides a more rounded fit to the heel. After initial testing, they appear a little more sensitive, though possibly slightly less stable that the Vapor Glove 3. I do feel that the 4 is more robust than its predecessor. I feel in a short space of time, the 4's have become my go-to, with a number of welcome updates from the Vapor Glove 3. Will definitely be recommending them to my fellow Ninjas!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. He’s tried and competed at the top end of the competition, on many courses, with a variety of shoes. Whilst he notes that shoes alone don't determine the result, they are incredibly important for many obstacles and also a competitors’ confidence while running the course. On the lightweight chassis, you get a sturdy Cordura mesh upper with TPU reinforcements on the inside arch, outside pinky toe area, and heel. Despite these concerns, I never really noticed a huge detrimental impact on my running and I even suspect the slight differences in design from other barefoot shoes helped strengthen the little bones and muscles in my feet even further. Lower marks for the initial hassles for an otherwise great fit. Gait Cycle Performance

Fifth was Australia Season 3, where he placed in the Top 20 wearing the Merrell Vapor Glove 3: “Though not as good a result, the shoes performed better than any others (I got the MegaWall, the right shoe is key).”You will get a ton of ankle and foot strength if you use these shoes properly and I can’t recommend them enough if you’re willing to take the mileage hit to get a proper transition into barefoot running. I noticed the power band that runs behind the heel, draws the heel forward, which may attribute to the slighter firmer fit.