Last Friday, just before we headed out for a weekend of various adventures, two of the most exciting new products for spring arrived at our stores: The Merrell Trail Glove for men and the Merrell Pace Glove for women!
These barefoot running shoes are equally well-suited for hiking, with 4mm Vibram soles and a shock absorption plate in the forefoot to prevent bruising from stones and roots. If you think you can’t get more out of your walks, runs or hikes, think again. Merrell Barefoot can help you develop stronger muscles, find a more balanced posture, and find a closer connection to your environment.
Both are ultralight, even for minimalist shoes: the Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove weighs only 6.2 ounces, and the Merrell Barefoot Pace Glove is an astonishing 4.7 ounces!
Here’s what Runner’s World had to say about the Merrell Men’s Trail Glove in their Spring 2011 Trail Shoe Guide:
The bare-bones Trail Glove combines a durable Vibram outsole with a traditional mesh lace-up upper—and not much else. It has a superlow heel height (only 10.7 millimeters off the ground) that leaves very little between your foot and the ground. While the thin sole is excellent for strengthening feet and legs, our testers said it made them think more about where they planted their feet since they could feel the terrain underneath. Recommended as a training tool for efficient runners. The women’s model is called the Pace Glove.
This video from Merrell’s website follows the experience of an ultramarathon trail runner who switched to a barefoot running style, and features the Men’s Trail Glove.
The Merrell Barefoot shoes are now available at Rock/Creek, in our online store as well as at our Hamilton Place & North Shore locations. We’d love to hear about your adventures and experiences in these new shoes; shoot us an email or post a comment and let us know how Merrell Barefoot fits into your outdoor lifestyle!
In addition to the Men’s Merrell Trail Glove and the Women’s Merrell Pace Glove, we are also carrying the Merrell Pure Glove for women, an even more minimal trail & adventure shoe, which is most suitable if running isn’t a part of your outdoor activities.
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