Customer Reviews Merrell Barefoot Pure Glove

These are perfect for what they are -- ultra-minimalist, lightweight, zero-support shoes. They're much cuter than the true 'barefoot' style running shoe (kind of froggy looking) but they aren't going to win any fashion contests either. On the other hand, you could put them on with a simple pair of black capri pants and probably not draw a second glance. I put them on (no socks) and walked for miles with no discomfort, and don't have the strongest feet or ankles either, so that's pretty great. Probably best for a foot that leans to the wider side. The "Merrell" on the side is less obtrusive than in the photo -- it doesn't scream the brand name. I haven't tried washing them yet, but expect no problems. I'd give them a 4.5 if there were that option -- they're great at what they do, but that is something that for most of us may be of pretty limited interest.

Love the shoe, except they started to smell after the second day I wore them. I've never had this happen before with any of my shoes.

These are amazing! The thing which impressed me most was wearing them on long days working on concrete floors, which would normally kill my feet. But I had no problems, meanwhile, my husband wearing good tennis shoes was complaining like crazy. These are keepers!

Much larger than sized. I am trying 1/2 size smaller. Cute shoe...hope they work.

These shoes feel great on the inside! They are a tiny bit on the snug side, length-wise, but I'm hoping they will form to my feet soon. Definitely the ideal shoe to wear on walks with the dog, with my son to the playground, or hiking in the park.

I wanted to love this shoe--and it seems that everyone that bought it loved it--but it just didn't fit my foot properly. It's just too wide around the toe box. The rest of the shoe seemed fine. I wore around the house--but I didn't want to get stuck with it. I am trying the Pace Glove instead. By the way, I wear a 9 or 9 1/2. I ordered the 9 1/2. I think the 9 would have been too short.

I needed comfy shoes for walking around during our trip to South America. The soles are cushy and provide decent arch support. These shoes are extremely lightweight and didn't offer a lot of warmth in cooler weather.

This shoe is comfortable and looks casual/cute with jeans and shorts. I'm new to the 'barefoot' thing, but find it to be great for everyday walking. Haven't tried it for serious hiking yet. It does run short, so maybe size up.

Very comfortable. I did notice my lower calves were fatigued the first day, but in a good way! My second toe is longer so it rubs the end of the toe box. I wish I could have gotten a half size bigger, but that wasn't an option. Looks really cute with everything!

I usually wear a normal width size 10, but found the 10 in this style to be too small in length. My toes felt squished and bunched up and they bumped up against the tip of the shoe. I actually ordered the 9.5 too due to the reviewers saying it ran big. Mistake...I sent them both back and don't like the look enough to try the 10.5. To me, the look is a bit cheap.

Frankly, I bought these shoes because of the bright red color and Mary-Jane style. I have always though Merrell had good supportive shoes. I skipped these for months because I am not a barefoot runner. The outer sole is well constructed for supporting your walk, but I cannot imagine running without good insoles and socks. On their own web site, they admit that you will probably need socks if you wear them a lot. I need a good heel cup and good arch support. These are like ballet shoes with running support stuck on the outside. If you make the modifications and like the style, go for it.

I have been on the hunt for this type of shoe (barefoot, black, Mary Jane) for several years. Unfortunately these did not work. I love the Vibram sole, cute Mary Jane styling. I did not love the Velcro strap made of a non-skin-loving material then sewn in a rough manner so it rubbed the tops of my feet; I felt the seams inside the shoe because the shoes did not fit well (8½ too small, 9 too large) and the heel rubbed due to not fitting as well. The arches were strangely placed as well (or my arches are strange).

I wanted to love these shoes. I tried to love them, because I really wanted a minimalist shoe for everyday that I can wear to work. The fit, for me, personally, was terrible. It very disappointing since I have a pair of men's trail gloves for running, which I love and which fit beautifully. These, however, were too narrow at the widest part of my foot (toes could not splay properly), then too wide everywhere else (gaping badly). I returned the first pair for a half-size smaller, thinking that would help, but the smaller pair was too short, and my big toe hit the end, causing my foot to twist oddly inside the shoe. Big disappointment, since I love my trail gloves. Guess I'll have to stick to the men's models. Too bad those aren't particularly fashionable for a women to wear to work.

Sadly, I'm having to return these shoes. I really wanted something lightweight and very comfortable but presentable to wear anywhere. They were two of the three, at least in black, but the comfort part wasn't good enough and I wasn't sure they were really worth the money paid. For me, the back was uncomfortable, and they were expensive enough that I didn't want to risk wearing them outside to break in and being stuck with them if it didn't improve. I was also amazed at how flimsy these shoes were for the price. It's hard to imagine them lasting long. Lightweight, definitely....but I don't know if these are of the usual quality Merrell gives us. How can such shoes, made in China besides, cost so much? I'd have been willing to keep them for less money. For the sizing: if they were meant to fit really glove-like barefoot, they were a bit big, but thin socks worked well. I marked them true to size because I wouldn't want them skin tight. I am really sad that my favorite, favorite Merrell shoes are no longer made, the Encore MJ. Those were incredibly comfortable, well made, etc, and I'm dying to have some in different colors, especially black. Merrell, make them again!

I liked the lightness of this shoe, but coming from my Vibrams, it did not feel "barefoot" at all. I've been looking for a shoe that is like the Vibrams that I can wear at work, and this seems like the closest thing, but I was still disappointed. Oh, and it definitely runs small. Order at least 1/2 a size up.

I really like these shoes but my ankles, feet and knees do not. Whenever I wear them, about an hour into them I begin to get some aches and pains. They are really comfy, very easy to throw on and go.

Only got a few wearings out of this shoe before they got way too funky smelling for me to go anywhere near them again. I can't even take the smell of having them on. Disappointing. I did not get my money's worth of wear out of them. More money down the drain on shoes; for a few wearings they're great.

I was looking for a sneaker like shoe I could wear to work and walking around the city. They looked cute on the site and I like the Mary Jane aspect in a sneaker type shoe but they are very uncomfortable. Unfortunately I had already worn them outside and couldn't return. The material on the inside is rough and there is really no cushion in the shoe at all. Plus after just a couple of wears they look really raggedy and dusty and don't clean well because of the rough material. Very disappointed.