Men's Vapor Glove 6 Sneaker

if purchasing as a barefoot or minimalist running shoe, this would be one of the top hard core serious such out there. my other comparable that i run in is the xero speed force. both are very similar but for hard core barefoot/minimalist runners the vapor glove 6 requires full conditioning capable of using a shoe with only 6mm of sole. the xero is only slightly more forgiving with 7.5mm. these are both exceptional shoes for that use, probably the best out there. they both have the option of functionality for other activities, weightlifting or in the gym use being the most obvious, the flat grippy soles will work well with weights, plyometrics, etc. casual use is another great use for these as they look super with well fitting jeans, or shorts. they both fit super well, but if pressed i'd say the vapor glove is a bit more like a sock. while there's much confusion about the sizing, and i thought i'd need to return the glove for a much smaller size, they were in fact correct that it's true to size. i take a 12.5 in BOTH the xero speed force and the vapor glove. the vapor glove is about a quarter inch longer at that size, but that all is taken up by larger padding behind the heel, which i did not at all feel in any negative way. so when wearing the same size in each of these shoes, if you look down you should see they are equally as long and give equal amount of space to your foot. if you look behind your heel tho, you will see the extra quarter inch back there...which means it's of no consequence to sizing. finally, while most of xero's runners have fronts that look a bit like clown shoes, this vapor glove is a bit more form fitting up front, so while a very curved last, it doesn't have that clown shoe look. and neither does my xero, the speed force, mainly because it is so minimal they don't have the weight to waste to put that extra material in the front. so, in the end (no pun intended) i'd say these are both exceptional shoes which also LOOK exceptional when used casually with jeans. the xeros are a bit more pricey, and the the vapor glove a bit more form fitting like a sock. as for that casual wear issue, i totally plan to ditch my cowboy boots and wear my black vapor gloves with my boot cut jeans, they look so good. and i love my cowboy boots. as for which one i'll wear more in my minimal runs of over an hour on asphalt and concrete? probably the xeros, only because of that extra 1.5mm of sole. i've just transitioned over to these very hard core run shoes and may use the vapor gloves slightly less on hard surface runs only because i can still use a bit more toughening up of legs/feet. but if you're up to it, these are probably the ultimate barefoot/minimal shoe.

I have recently been trying to improve my balance by trying minimal or barefoot shoes. I first bought the Trail Gloves, and there is nothing wrong with them, but I didn't feel the ground beneath my feet as much as I had hoped. Next I bought the Vapor Gloves, and these are exactly what I was hoping for. I have been wearing these daily for about a week now, and they are quickly becoming my favorite pair of shoes. Things to consider if you are trying to decide between the trail and vapor glove: The trail gloves seem to have significantly more padding which might be better for some people who want to walk or run long distances, both on hard surfaces such as concrete, or on terrain where there are lots of pointy type rocks! I can see these as a good introduction to minimal or barefoot shoes. It didn't take much time to get used to these. The vapor gloves may take some getting used to as they have a very thin sole. You will feel most every little thing you walk on, these Aldo seem to have alot more flexibly, which i find to be amazing. Size wise, they both seem to fit pretty true to size. I wear an 8.5 or 9 in nike or puma, so I first got the Trail glove in 9, and the Vapor glove in 8.5. I feel like I could have gotten them both in 8.5, as the vapor glove didn't feel tight or uncomfortable in any way. Also I don't have wide feet at all, I can wear pretty narrow shoes such as puma speed cats. In conclusion, if you want something with more of a true barefoot feel, go for the Vapor Gloves. If you prefer a bit more padding under your feet, go for the Trail Gloves! These are both great shoes!

I'm a PTA and work in a sports based orthopedic outpatient clinic. I'm using these Vapor Glove 6s to Replace my previous shoe, the Vapor Glove 3. Honestly I looked for the 3s again before settling on these shoes. My 3s have lasted years and just now started developing holes in the upper. I was blown away by the longevity. I did go down by half a size, but that's because the 3s I had were a half size big. These 6s fit similarly to the 3s, size for size. The 6s are so light, even compared to the 3s. Aesthetically they are quite similar in shape, and very nice looking for a barefoot runner. Very breathable and very comfortable. No break in time really required. Extremely flexible and a nice, wide toe box. The midfoot does come off a little more snug and padded, but this is a plus for me. You can role the shoe or twist it with ease and it springs back to form with no issue. Vibram soles are always a plus, although these ones seem a bit softer than the 3s, so I have some doubts as to their longevity. With that being said the first 4 or 5 runs (treadmill) have shown no wear or tear, and the grip is phenomenal. You will feel everything underneath you, and don't expect a ton of protection underfoot - but that's not what these are for. Another thing that sticks out is the lacing system on these. Seems a little less robust on visual inspection compared to the 3s, but I haven't had any issues with the 6's system to date and the laces themselves have a nice feel to them and they perform (don't come untied) well while running. I also wouldn't throw these shoes in the washing machine as it seems they might not do well under that sort of agitation. As of this point, I'm quite happy and impressed with this iteration from Merrell. It's a great shoe and it's performing quite well. I paid ~$73 for the shoes. If I can get 400-500 miles, it'll be high value for the money spent, in my opinion. Assuming they hold up appropriately, would absolutely reorder.

its still a good barefoot shot, will have to see if the sole is as durable and puncture proof but i am coming from the vapor glove 3 and they clearly made the toe box much more narrow, probably to appease the masses and make them look less goofy. This kind of goes against the whole point of the shoe though. So its a 4 and if you are a purist its probably a 3 due to the narrow toe box. I am kind of stuck though as Merrell is the only company that makes barefoot shoes in my size (14) every other company stops at 13. So if you don't have the same issue as me i would look at other brands if you are looking for a perfect barefoot shoe that checks all the boxes.

The Vapor Glove is an excellent shoe. I bought these for my boyfriend and actually have the same exact pair in women's for myself. We both have had the Vapor Glove 4, 5, and 6. The 4 and 6 are our favorites. They are seriously so comfortable and do actually feel like a glove - and each series gets more and more fine-tuned. Initially, we did have some concerns about the 6 - for example, the groves on the bottom and the fabric being more mesh/holey, but they are incredible. The fabric change to the more mesh style makes them even lighter (which I didn't think was possible), more breathable, and even more flexible. You can wear these shoes all day and almost forget that you have shoes on. They have all the qualities you look for in a barefoot shoe - flexible, wide toe box, zero drop, and they look much better than some other barefoot shoes on the market. Some of the complaints which really aren't negatives, just kind of what it is, are: due to the thinner sole, it can hurt when you step on certain things - it's really only when it is something that sticks up relative to the rest of the area or is pointy/sharp (like a rock/pebble). The grooves can get some of those really small rock/pebbles stuck, but you can get them out super easily. And, with time and use, the soles wear down, but that is expected and unavoidable. The quality, though, is great (Vibram makes the sole) - even with how light, thin, and flexible they are. Plus, as you get more accustomed to the barefoot style, you wear down on them a little less or slower than when you first begin wearing the barefoot style. The comfort is unbelievable, and the light weight is a huge plus, especially when you need to travel. (They technically can fold/bend, but we don't like to do that). We are both coming up on a year with our sixes, and both are in great shape, still going strong. Mine have some wear bur my boyfriend's who literally wears them everyday, are still in excellent shape with minimal wear. I highly recommend and am looking to get me some more... If they are working on a seven, I cant wait to see how these are - but stock up on the 6s while they are available!

I prefer minimalist shoes but I prefer not to wear Vibrams for exercises. I had a pair of New Balance Minimus for a long time until the sole detached and the whole upper detached itself, which was very inconvenient since I was training out when it happened. The Vapor Gloves came well recommended and so I decided to give it a try. So far my impression is that they are good minimalist shoes, with a wide enough toe box and a sole that has very good grip.

These fit very nicely, and they're very comfortable. These would probably be just fine for gym usage, or if you're not doing a lot of walking. The tread on the bottom of these is not durable at all. I do a fair amount of walking in these (roughly 2000 steps a day), and after two months, a lot of the tread strips have worn off completely. This is an issue with the tread design itself: rather than wearing down over time, the treads tear off at the base, and you get big strips of rubber falling off the shoe as you walk. After four months, there are large bald spots on the ball of the foot and the heel, and I need to replace these. I expect shoes to last longer than that, so I will not be buying another pair of these.

This is my second pair. I have been running barefoot/minimalist for over 20 years. I was wearing Five Fingers for years, but I have really wide feet and odd shape toes that make them just a pain to put on! I tried a number of different “barefoot” shoes (zero drop, minimal bed height, maximum ground feel, wide toe box, minimal upper structure), and the Merrill Vapor Glove are my clear winner! There is almost nothing of them, and they have a generous toe box that allows good natural spread and flex. In fact, the foot bed so flexible that they I actually wouldn’t necessarily use them as a serious trail running shoe. Decent rocks or gravel chunks can be painful, which is a fact of life if your seriously into barefoot! My first pair are going strong still, with about 500km on them so far. I’d say they go to maybe 750km. I bought a second pair for traveling, and just in case they were not available when I needed them… I’m tempted to get another pair just in case! I have several pair of other Merrill shoes and I love that they offer some good options for wide feet, with a great range of styles. I love my Vapor Gloves!