Customer Reviews Merrell Vapor Glove 3

These are really nice minimalist shoes, and definitely much more durable than an Vivo's ever were. They're great gym shoes, that run a half size large (very important this type of shoe fits exactly), and terrible trail running shoes. Note: they need/expect socks like all other shoes. There seems to be misunderstanding among other reviewers on how these are supposed to fit, they actually run a half size too large. Minimalist shoes like this are supposed to fit like a glove on the heel and mid-foot, then flatten out to an extra wide toe box. The whole shoe is supposed to be short and fit against the top of your foot. In theory your toes should have room to splay and your forefoot have room to expand as it gets warm. It is very important these types of shoes fit exactly. I'm honestly surprised they don't sell in European sizes that are more consistent and exact. If they're too big your forefoot will slide slightly or the extra past your toe will catch on things more easily. The sliding over time will cause blisters. Great gym shoes, they have amazing support on the outside edges for agility activities, they have minimal soles for weight lifting, and they're extremely light so they're perfect for Cross Fit or HIIT. They're also comfortable enough for running in if you want to do a 5-10K, as long as it's not on hard concrete the whole way (generally discouraged for all minimalist shoes). These would NOT be good for trail running. While there's a bit of protection for rocks in the arch area by making the rubber from mid-foot thru the heel extra stiff, the forefoot rubber is extremely flexible. It gives you great feel thru the shoes, which is problematic if you're running on gravel, but great if you really want to feel the floor underneath. For some reason people seem to think you can go without socks in minimalist shoes. Generally you can't. I've had dozens of minimalist shoes from many different brands, stretching back to when minimalist was all the rage, and I've never found a single pair that didn't have a minor spot somewhere that would destroy bare skin. Other reviewers have noted at such at the ankle on these specifically, but have absolutely no problem as long as my low-rise running socks cover up to just below the ankle bones.

If you own the Vapor Glove 2 you're going to want the 3. The 3's improve on the design in logical ways to elevate what was a good show in the 2's to a great one in the 3's. The material where the upper meats the sole has been reinforced to prevent the tearing the 2's we're prone to and the tongue is notably less bulky. Big thumbs up.

These are my first pair of Merrells, so I can't compare them to the previous iteration. Having tried many minimalist brands over the years, I can't believe I didn't try the Vapor Gloves sooner. I use them for running, jumping rope, plyometrics, and agility work. They seem more durable than Vivobarefoot's running shoes, which are a lot more expensive and prone to intractable odor issues. I wish Merrell would make a casual (yet still vegan) version of these shoes that would look better with jeans or chino shorts.

Really like the look and fit of this shoe and how truly minimal it is. Unfortunately, after only two months of wearing them for only running once or twice a week the top material is starting to rip away from the sole material about 1/4 of the way back from the toe on the inside of both shoes. This is not from being too tight as the toe box nicely has plenty of room. It seems to just be tearing from the movement/give-and-take of the shoe. The shoe really needs to be more stongly constructed than this.

The fit and size are perfect. I ordered 1/2 size down from normal workout shoes, as recommended. I can see how these need to NOT be too big. It's incredible how the feet spread out, feel much more connected to the ground and stable. It makes me realize how unnatural it is for our bodies to be in shoes with all the arch support, padding, technology. For gym workouts, there is no reason to be in shoes that protect us from running on nails, giving us cushion from all the stress of pounding. I will always wear minimalist shoes now for normal workouts.

if you are a minimalist runner this is by far the best shoe you could EVER hope to find to run on the road, asphalt, concrete or other non-trail surfaces. as my first paragraph suggests, i run on arguably the worst surfaces for a minimal runner, concrete and asphalt. it is where i live, i love running in the city, so that's that. i went from a big air max airsole shoe to a long 2 year transition to minimal running when my back was getting worse and worse despite the huge cushion shoes. the problem of big heel cushion shoes is they force heel striking. finally after much difficult transition building up unused muscles in my achilles and calf, i was running in very minimalist new balance minimus zeros which are great totally flat shoes with an ideal amount of 11mm sole height. however, since new balance stopped making these i bought up all i could find in my size but prepared soon to need to find a new shoe. sadly, minimalist shoes (zero drop and thinner soles) have gone out of merchandising favor and only a few stalwart brands like merrell really go there. i loved these vapor glove 3 shoes, which were very much like my new balance minimus, but didn't know if i could handle the very minimal 6mm soles on concrete. i was fully aware that proper minimal running with even thinner soles allegedly increase foot tactile response to the ground, which supposedly can reduce impact even further. but theory is one thing, concrete is another. i have bulging discs, and had to decide whether to go down to these TRUE minimal shoes. i'm not a huge mileage runner, but after 2-3 years of strict minimal running in the new balance minimus, my form is excellent. so i bit the bullet here on zappos. got the vapors in 2 days, and hit the concrete and asphalt today. well, rolling the dice paid off. for me anyway, the theory paid off. these felt even more springy and cushioned than the new balance...NOT because they were in fact more cushioned...they were much less. they felt softer and more cushioned because the thinner soles were allowing my own foot and lower leg structure to do as the theory suggests, reduce impact as your body's design was meant to. while i and all minimal runners revere the legendary new balance minimus zeros, they are not made any more. but kicking into gear with an even more strict minimal shoe like this one is a blessing in disguise for the true minimal runner, because if you buy into the minimal running theory, AND do have excellent minimal running form, getting into this very technically true minimal shoe should really pay off.

Overall, I love these sneakers. I didn't really start wearing them regularly until October (when it was too cold for my Birks!). I wear them almost every day. They were my first 'barefoot' shoes and it took a while for my foot muscles to adjust to the demand. They feel like slippers. My only complaint is that after only 4 months of wear the soles are still perfectly intact, but the fabric is almost worn through where the bony part of the ball of my foot is - where the coated fabric and non-coated fabric meet. I'm pretty gentle on my footwear and have my shoes for a long, long time. I'm not thrilled about the fact that I might have to spring for another pair so soon.

This is like a glove for the foot, or like a water shoe. I think they are comfortable for using in the gym and support is not recommended for proper training in functional patterns. I ware a size 11/43 in women's. I have to ware a mens 10/44, thats as big as the women's go. I have a very long second toe, at least half inch longer than my big toe. So if you have that, size up and save yourself some stress. Not as pretty as the women's either, enter sad face here.

The shoes definitely runs a half size large with thin running socks. They run a full size large if you opt not to wear socks at all. For example, I normally wear an 11 for most shoes and sneakers. I wear a 11.5 for Vans because they tend to be a bit narrower. I kept the Vapor Glove 3 in 10.5. The 11 was too long although it felt more natural because my toes ended where the fabric does. The challenge is how the rubber in the front protects the toes. It wraps around over the toes unlike normal sneakers or toe shoes. I wish Merrell had not done that, but it only takes a short amount of time to adapt. To add a little bit of context, I wore Vibram Five Fingers for many years and wanted a similar feel with a closed front on the shoes. I loved the Bikilas, but haven’t enjoyed any subsequent model since then. This is the solution. The Vapor Glove is solid and provides enough protection against the road, while still retaining the feel of the ground beneath you. Last piece of advice. Lace the shoes all the way up so that your ankle is definitely locked in. This will allow the laces to remain a little looser, while also keeping the foot from sliding in the shoe.

These are fantastic minimalist or “barefoot” running shoes. The sole is strong without being too thick and they’re incredible light weight. Great replacement for early NB zero drop minimus.

Normally wear a 10 but had to go to 9.5 for the Vapor 3s. 1st pair of Merrells, stoked to try them and the spruce color is bomb!

Slightly longer than standard size

I love the shoes, even when I run on trails (except for particularly rocky trails... then I have to be very careful with foot placement). My only negative is that the uppers wear through much faster than I'd like. It's possible that it's because I often run on trails and they're not really designed for that. They feel great! A possibly interesting note: When my last pair had worn through to the point I was ready to replace them, I switched to a bit heavier shoe that I already had (the Trail Glove) for everyday runs (not just the ones on rocky trails). Soon, I developed symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis in one heel. I immediately went back to running in my (nearly falling apart) Vapor Gloves and it went away completely in just over a week. Now I'm happily running in my new pair. I'm really grateful to Merrell for continuing to make quality minimal shoes available. It seems that the running shoe "trend" has moved away from minimal shoes but I never will if I can help it!

The first pair I ordered, in black, were superb. Great fit..very comfortable...just outstanding. I thought, these are so nice, I'll order another pair...in Blue...same shoe..same style..same size...just a different color. Unfortunately the sizing is very inconsistent. While the first pair fit perfectly, the second pair, in particular the left shoe, seems to have been a different size although the tag shows the same as the other shoe and the earlier orders. The left shoe is wider than the right....and wider than the first pair I ordered. These are the "barefoot" feel which is great when the shoe fits. However with the left shoe of the second pair it slips and slides and is clearly wider than expected or the other shoe of the pair. The left shoe is simply not comfortable at all.

Sizing seems 1/2 to 1 size larger than other brands I normally wear size 10 in most brands, most recently 10 in ASICS with about 1/2" clearance at the toe. In the Merrell Vapor Glove 3, I tried a 9, 9.5, and 10. While wearing thin running socks, in order to get ~1/2" clearance in front of the toe, I needed the 9.5. I could have gone down to the 9, but under full load on my foot, my big toe would just barely touch the end of the shoe (with thin socks); just standing and walking there was plenty of room around the toes. If I were going to use this shoe for strictly casual wear without big loads on my foot, I might be tempted to go all the way down to the size 9. I'll have to see how this pair plays out long term... I have not run in these yet, nor any other "barefoot" shoe. My main reason for picking this shoe was for martial arts. It definitely offers great feel and flexibility, along with very light weight. The thin bottoms let you feel every bump and rock under your feet and give great grip. I could see running on relatively smooth surfaces with these, but for running on large, sharp gravel this probably isn't the right shoe. For other activities requiring grip and agility, but not much protection, these seem great so far. I also like them for casual wear.

size too large. I'm an 11 in all shows. need to order 1 to 1 &1/2 size smaller to fit

I was looking for a very light shoe. The shoe itself was perfect, narrow heal with a flatter sole which is what I was looking for. However Merrell's tend to run (for me) wide and large by at least a 1/2 size.

I didn't want to rate the shoe overall as I didn't wear it more than putting it on out of the box, so my score may be unfair, but I had to put something in order to leave the review. I typically wear a 43 euro in barefoot shoes (five fingers), but wear a 10.5 US (44.5 euro) in my Merrell shoes. These shoes were beyond roomy in my US size (even with socks) and also had more room in width than I am used to in other barefoot or Merrell shoes. Seemed like good shoes, just didn't fit my feet well enough to keep and use. I ended up with the Trail Glove 4 by Merrell instead, also in a 10.5 US and they fit true to size.

I usually wear an 11.5 and have several Merrell boots in 11.5 but I went with an 11 in the Vapor Glove 3 after reading they ran a but large. They were still so big that I would probably need a 10.5 or even a 10 for them to fit properly. My toes were barely passed the end of the laces even with a half size smaller. According to Merrell the fit should be with your toes at the rubber toe cap area but these fit like clown shoes for lack of a better example. The materials seem extremely flimsy as well not sure how well they'd actually hold up if you can find the right size. Will be returning for the first time in my many years of shopping with Zappos.

Shoe looked great but really long out of the box. Been wearing Merrells for 15 plus years and have always been a 10.5 but it looks like these will be a 9.5 to come close.

I was a big fan of the Vapor Glove 2, but these did not feel nearly as comfortable. They changed the material of the tongue and added stitching to the bottom of it where the toes start, which would cause irritation even just when walking! I sent these back and just ordered another pair of the Vapor Glove 2's.

Upon the third wear of these shoes, the stitching holding the tongue came undone. This is the second time I've had this happen with these shoes recently, so I won't be buying them anymore. I've been wearing Merrell Vapor Glove 3's for over three years, and the quality of the stitching has been going downhill for the last year. I highly recommend avoiding these shoes.

I've worn Merrell's for years - I have a pair of Trail Glove Amazons I've worn since ~2012 and they're still going strong. I've never had a problem until purchasing these Vapor Glove 3s. The fit is perfect and the comfort is great. However, brand new out of the box there was about a 1/2" - 3/4" section of the sole that was not glued to the upper. Considering durability concerns expressed by others I'm leery and returning these even if I did consider trying to super glue them myself. I love Merrell shoes and really do hope this is not an indication of a downward trend in quality. Fortunately Zappos is amazing and they're swapping them out, although my preferred color is no longer in stock in my size so I lose my first choice color. I really hope the replacements hold up like Merrell shoes of old...

This was exactly what I wanted, and they fix perfectly!!