Customer Reviews Merrell Barefoot Pace Glove

Let me preface this review by saying that I hate gym shoes as a rule. I find them to be all around bulky and unattractive to wear on any regular basis unless you're a particularly physically active person, and so I haven't owned a pair of gym shoes in almost 10 years. I am in the process of moving to London where walking long distances on a daily basis will be a regular occurrence, so in the interest of personal health began searching for a gym shoe I could tolerate. I did quite a bit of research before deciding to try these. I was intrigued by the "minimalist" quality and the fun colors were a nice change from white, gray, and black! I read somewhere that these ran slightly small and that it was recommended that people purchase a half size up from their usual shoe size. I did this, but ended up sending them back and ordering a pair in my natural shoe size. I found they fit perfectly, though I will say that if you have wider feet they might run a bit tiny bit small. I have worn these twice now, once to the gym and once for several miles of walking. They are wonderful! The arch support fits my foot perfectly, though I suspect this is a subjective measurement. And I -love- the flexibility. I'm a "ballet flats" kind of girl, so I like my feet to have movement in my environment. These didn't take any time to get used to for me, but if you're unused to minimalist shoes they have a wonderful series of videos and instruction manuals to help you get used to these shoes. My mother, who walks 8-10 miles a day, wears a half size up from me and tried on these shoes as well before I sent them back for a smaller size. She promptly went out and bought a pair for herself! I absolutely recommend these shoes. They're cute with a lot of personality and a great comfort level. They can be worn barefoot, which I personally love, or with socks making them extremely versatile for different climates. (Purchased size 6 in "crystal".)

This shoe is perfect for someone who has a bunion! I have had problems for years finding a shoe wide enough at the ball of the foot to comfortably accommodate my wide foot with my narrow heel. More recently, it became obvious that there are few shoes out there that provide toe wriggling space. True, there is little arch support - but hey, what would you expect with a name like "barefoot?" Bought my first pair in black from a department store and immediately searched online to discover this site with all the great colors. This shoe is incredibly lightweight. Not warm for outdoor cold winter weather, but perfect for summertime and indoors. I specifically bought these for doing body work, where I rely on my legs and feet for strength. I believe these shoes are true to size as I recently had to have an 8 1/2 sandal (in another major brand) so I believe it is the bunion issue, along with my age that has now turned me into a size 8 1/2. Since buying 2 pairs of this shoe, I now have just purchased a Merrell winter boot that is equally comfortable. I highly recommend this brand.

Great alternative for the oddly-received "toe shoe"! Order 1/2 a size up if you're going to wear socks.

I LOVE these shoes. But know what they are before you buy them. They are minimalist and take getting used to. I am very pleased with them but you may not be unless you take the time to adjust minimalist shoes the way Merrell suggests on their website.

After dealing with hip and back problems for so long I have had to experiment with different shoes - As soon as I put these on I knew immediately that these were the best and most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. I love them neurotically. They are a product of the new minimalist running trend. I especially recommend them if you have back problems. Best investment ever.

I bought these in Dark Shadow this past November (11/11) at the recommendation of a friend. I am not an athletic person by any stretch of the imagination, but seeing how these helped my friends back pain, I was willing to give them a shot. I've had several knee surgeries and with these shoes, I have little to no knee pain anymore. They have also helped my back pain (a result of favoring my weaker knee). I love these shoes so very much. Just putting them on makes me want to get up and move and I have actually been working up to running. I recently got them in Chili Pepper and I am in love with the color. Both pairs are amazingly comfortable and take little to no time to break in. I am a size 11 and feel that they run a bit short for the size. I definitely feel my toe touching the front of the shoe, but it's not a big deal. These are the only shoes I do not immediately take off when coming home. They feel virtually nonexistent, because they are so light and flexible. They move with your foot in ways no other shoes have for me. I have low arches and find them to be perfectly comfortable It's the exactly right amount of support for me. Even wearing these in non-athletic settings I have found that my ankles are more defined and toned. Same goes for my calf. I have tried the Merrell Lithe Glove (in Cosmo Orange - great color!), which I find to not have as much flexibility as the Pace Glove, but comfortable none the less. I've also been wearing the Power Play Glove and they are an excellent alternative in the winter!

I love all my Pace Gloves! A note on the color for Ash. They're not the solid red they look like in the picture. These are hot pink shoes. XD I don't mind that at all, but forewarned is forearmed!

These shoes were exactly what I needed for a trip where I hiked across streams. Comfortable (I wore them with no socks), supportive and well-fitting. I have a narrow heel and very high arches, but these never rubbed and the laces helped with adjusting the width. Excellent product.

I got a pair for my recent vacation. I wanted to pack a pair of lightweight tennis shoes for hiking and the gym. These were perfect for both. The only issue is the shoe is very slippery on wet surfaces - not good for walking on wet wood or stone. Otherwise these were the perfect travel shoes. I wore these with thin socks and barefoot. They are very comfortable even without socks, no break-in period needed.

Re: fit, I bought them in my actual size, 8.5. My regular running shoes, like hiking boots, require me to go up to a 9 because it's important to have plenty of toe room with socks on. The reason these seem small per size is that they are designed to fit like a glove or second skin, either barefoot or with thin socks. But we are all different in precisely how long, wide, arched or flat our feet are, hence the further confusion. I echo all reviews about their comfort and cuteness, and love them for travel because they weigh nothing and take little room in a carry-on. On a trip they double as my running shoes in addition to all around and walking shoes. Merrell's decision to offer a plethora of fabulous colors reminds me of the Apple phase of rainbow colored devices. Brilliant! It made both products fashion statements. I too had calf and shin fatigue the first I used them heavily, which was a trip to Europe for 3 weeks. But using them strengthened my legs, ultimately. When I came home and ran in my Mizunos, I felt light and faster. I'll probably use them occasionally to train at the very least.

First, if you do not read all of this review you need to order these half a size bigger. This is now my second pair of Merrels ever, but in a month! I take Zumba classes and I never felt right in big clonky sneakers or barefoot. I also have back issues so it is important that I get proper support. The first two classes I took wearing these, my back and calves ached for a day or two afterward. Now, I have taken several more classes and I find that I am able to move lighter and I almost feel that I can spring better. What I am actually trying to say here is that I love them! I wish I had been more daring and gone for a brighter color though!

I've read a lot about the benefits of barefoot shoes and loved the look/purpose of this particular style from Merrell. My activities mostly include neighborhood walking, hiking on park trails, regular work-outs at the gym and dance classes like Zumba. These shoes are great for all of those activities. No trouble or pain adjusting from trail running shoes to the Barefoot Pace Glove. Sizing, I followed other suggestions to order a half size up and it was a bad idea. I'm 7.5 and average width and ordered an 8. It's not easy to tell just wearing the shoes around the house if they're exactly right. You really find out when you are active in them, and then it's too late to return or exchange. My advice is order two sizes if you can. If not, order the smaller size first, and then exchange if they're not quite right. I love the shoes, but unfortunately I've now spent a lot on shoes that are not a perfect fit and can't be returned or exchanged. Thicker cotton socks help take up a bit of room.

Great fit, true to size. Used for both lifting and running and works great for both. From now on, will be purchasing barefoot shoes instead of the traditional running shoe. Only negative remark is that the laces don't stay tied for very long - need to double knot them.

Love this shoe. It is extremely comfortable, the most comfortable shoe I own. I would recommend it to anyone who wants the barefoot experience. The service from Zappos was great. Regular shipping and they arrived in 2 days.

I love these shoes and my feet adjusted to them quickly. I think they run smaller than other Merrells I've had and do wish I bought a half-size larger.

I decided to buy this shoe to begin my life as a runner. I had never run farther than needed to pass PE in high school before this spring. After doing a little research I wanted to start off using a minimalist running shoe before I learned any "bad habits" by wearing regular shoes. I've only been wearing these for two months but I'm in love with them. They're equally comfortable for running or walking. I do most of my running on the sandy roadside and the grip has been excellent even up and down steep hills. While I can't compare them to a regular running shoe due to my lack of experience, I find the arch support very adequate. The fit is truly glove-like but with a nice roomy toe box. I felt that I could've ordered these a half size larger but I didn't realize it until I started running in them. Regardless, they're still very comfortable and I expect to get a lot of use out of them this season.

The most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever owned! I hate to wear shoes, but after six hours in these the first day, I am in love and can't wait to put them on again! The super-wide toe box doesn't squish my wide feet, and for the first time ever, gives my toes tons of room to stretch and wiggle. I usually wear an 8, but ordered and 8 1/2 and they fit perfectly. Highly recommended.

Really liked the look, but shoe has a serious design flaw: lace guides are attached to the tongue, so I couldn't get my foot in without partially unlacing and pulling the lace guides out of top eyelets. It was difficult to reinsert the guides while wearing the shoe.

Very breathable comfortable show. Little arch support, yes you guessed right, because it is barefoot technology show. I use it to run and walk my dogs on trails. My foot does not fatigue and the sole of my foot is very well stimulated by the terrain. There is just enough protection to not get stone or root bruises. I went up 1/2 size and when I first tried them on panicked a little thinking they were too big, but after a few minutes they felt perfect with a little room to spare for thin socks.

I bought these last year for Zumba class, because regular gym shoes (running) did not allow me to articulate the foot for dance movements. Perfect for Zumba, and also read instructions on Barefoot Running and I like them for walking/light jogging. Very comfortable with a thin sock.

The size ran smaller than my usual shoes. I am not sure if it is the same for running shoes. I did not notice until I ran in them. Word to the wise, do not wear the shoes outside if you think you may need to return. Otherwise these are incredible shoes. I could tell a lot went into the design to make them comfortable. Also, they are very supportive for minimalist shoes. But to be honest, I bought them because they were cute shoes, too!

Not good for a high arch. I could not even get my foot into the shoe.

I bought these for a recent trip to Disney. They were perfect! Comfy, light weight, socks or no socks. I would definitely recommend them!

Love the shoes, bought 1/2 size larger than I normally wear and they fit perfect.

These feel amazing to run around the office/house and do CrossFit style workouts. I have not yet tried to run in them - gradually moving towards more and more minimalist shoes and I know I'm going to need to adapt to these. I have wide feet and felt more comfortable in the larger size of my normal range (9 to 9.5). These require either no socks or thin socks - no matter what size you get, their light snug fit will be upset by big socks.