Shoes are like good lollipops…
Ok I don't know where that metaphor was going, but if shoes are like lollipops, then the Merrell Vapor Glove is like lemon swirl flavor. The very best
I’ve had my Merrell Vapor Glove (4th Gen) for over a year now. I have clocked way more than 500 miles in them and they have held up incredibly well. I recommend these shoes to anyone that likes durable barefoot shoes.
Story time!
I got these shoes just after I moved back to the US from Europe (best place ever to live!), replacing my Vibram Furoshiki wrap shoes (review coming. Not my favorite shoe). I read somewhere that the new Vapor Glove 4 was the best all round barefoot shoe, and for $60 I decided to give it a try. I was skeptical about their quality, but time and time again I have been proven wrong and these shoes have outperformed.
These Vibram soles are amazing! Great for on, and off pavement use with a surprising amount of tread to wear through giving it a longer life. The genius of these soles is that the lugs - the knobby part of the tread - are deep and wide giving that longer life, while still allowing full foot flexibility. Often deep lugs prevent good ground feel, and I was concerned at first with these shoes. After so long wearing them, I can tell you: They really feel like a thin glove protecting your feet!
With that being said, these are not heavy hiking boots as demonstrated by the image below. After a year of hard wearing I was taking a very steep hike with friends, getting impeccable traction as always, when we started on the descent. Half way down I slid off the trail on a shale slope, and discovered the hard way these shoes are not skis. The sole on my right heel tore off from the sharp rocks, allowing a few small rocks to enter in between the footbed and rubber sole. Fortunately I was not injured, and made it down the trail safely from there.
A disclaimer is needed, if you decide to go rock sliding, the thinner rubber might not hold up to that extreme level of abuse!
Often on barefoot shoes the uppers are cheaply made, so the glue breaks down and tears away from the sole, rendering the shoe useless without significant duck-tape. Not so with the Merrell Vapor Glove! The uppers are so well constructed that after bouldering with them on a number of occasions only the mildest abrasion shows! Their special manufacturing process glues the upper to the lower to prevent ANY separation.
The laces they come with are a cool idea - stretchy elastic laces allowing for greater foot flexion even when laced tightly to prevent movement. These laces, however, are prone to braking. The laces on my right shoe tore off, wrapping around the peddle, while unicycling pretty early on. Fortunately I just tied them shorter and have had no problems since. There are pros and cons to switching laces. I decided to leave mine on even after it broke.
In Short these are the Longest lasting barefoot shoes I have ever owned. And they get better with time. As the sole and upper brake into your personal foot movement, the ground feel improves, comfort gets better, and your feet stay safe as always.
Try out these lollipops for yourself! I mean shoes… these Merrell Vapor Glove 4s, not actual lollipops. I got mine from this Amazon link (not affiliated).