Comparison between Merrell Trail Glove 4 and Trail Glove 3

During 2017 Merrell has renewed all the minimalist shoes from the Merrell Barefoot collection. This time we will talk about the most popular model among minimalist runners, the Merrell Trail Glove in its 4th version.

This model available for both men and women: Merrell Trail Glove 4 Men and Merrell Trail Glove 4 Women

Merrell continues betting strong within the minimalist sector and introduces great changes in his star sneaker. The Merrell Trail Glove 4 incorporates changes in the design, compound, drawing of the sole and upper. Everything has been renewed on the Merrell Trail Glove 4 achieving the best version of trail pure minimalist shoe from the Merrell Barefoot collections.

The Merrell Trail Glove is a minimalist trail shoe, so it is designed to run on mountains and roads, although the use we can make of them depends a lot on each one. It can be used by both expert minimalist runners and those who start, the difference is that the novel will have to use them progressively, starting by walking and gradually increasing the mileage.

Differences in the upper of the Merrell Trail Glove 4 and Trail Glove 3

The upper of the Merrell Trail Glove 4 has been renewed both in materials and design. The mesh is almost as thick, but sticks better to the skin improving the sensations, in addition the TPU reinforcements protect the areas of greater wear, and the rubber in the toe is enough to protect the fingers against possible shocks. All this makes the Merrell Trail Glove 4 present a similar protection to the Trail Glove 3, but with a lower weight.

In the inner, the reinforcements are textile and form a zig zag. This change favors the adjustment of the shoes in the midfoot, at the same time as it adds body to the shoe. The Omni-Fit setting that Merrell has used in previous versions is eliminated.

Differences in the fit of the Merrell Trail Glove 4 and Trail Glove 3

The fit on the Merrell Trail Glove 4 is the best of all the Merrell Trail Glove versions. The tongue is attached to the shoes on the inside part of it, and on the outside is attached to an elastic. This gives the feeling that he is wearing a glove, instead of a shoe. In addition, it retains the false support for the plantar arch to maximize the fit in the middle part of the foot and release the part of the toes. Some types of flatter feet can notice the support in the arch, for the majority of runners this yields to the few days and the enjoyment when running with the sneakers is maximum.

Regarding the last, they are almost identical in both versions, so the space for the fingers is still wide. In the Merrell Trail Glove 4 space is a bit smaller, but insignificant compared to the third version.

For all the comments, the fit in the Merrell Trail Glove 4 is better than in previous versions, improving comfort and taking the concept of Glove to a higher step.

Differences in the soles of the Merrell Trail Glove 4 and Trail Glove 3

The sole is another element that has changed in the Merrell Trail Glove 4. It is still using a sole of Vibram, but with a new drawing and with the compound TC-5 Plus. This compound allows more grip on dry and wet surfaces, and its durability is similar to that of previous versions. In the new version, the studs are triangular, 3 mm high.

Another difference is the thickness of the sole taking into account the total of what we call the sole (external layer midsole). In the Merrell Trail Glove 4 the thickness is 11.5 mm, while in the Merrell Trail Glove 3 it is 12 mm. With both shoes the ground feels good, they have a good reactivity and protect against stones thanks to the anti-scratch plate. Of course, both shoes do not have differences in height between the front and back, is what is called zero drop shoes.

In summary, the Merrell Trail Glove 4 is a new minimalist trail shoe with better grip and adjustment than previous versions, preserving the type of last and the essence of minimalism.

Comparative table of Merrell Trail Glove 4 and Trail Glove 3