Facts

  • Discontinued
    Discontinued
    Update: Merrell Trail Glove 4
  • Terrain
    Terrain

    Road

    Shoes best for road, track and light gravel. See the best road shoes.

    Trail

    Shoes best for trail, off road, mountains and other unstable surfaces. See the best trail shoes.

    Good to know

    As long as you stick to the road or path, and if you want just one running shoe, buy a road running shoe.

  • Arch support
    Arch support

    Neutral / cushion / high arch

    Shoes for runners who do not need any additional arch support (Around 50% of runners). Best for people with normal, high or medium high arches. See the best neutral shoes.

    Stability / overpronation / normal arch

    Shoes for runners who need mild to moderate arch support (Around 45% of runners). Best for runners with a low arch. See the best stability shoes.

    Motion control / severe overpronation / flat feet

    Shoes for runners who needs a lot of arch support. Best for runners with flat feet. See the best motion control shoes.

    Good to know

    - Rule of thumb: If in doubt, buy neutral shoes to avoid injuries.
    - More about arch support in this video.
    - Find your arch type by following steps from this video.

  • Use
    Use

    Daily running

    Cushioned shoes for your daily easy running. Great comfort. See best shoes for daily running.

    Competition

    Lightweight shoes good for races, interval training, tempo runs and fartlek. Here are the best competition running shoes.

    Good to know

    If you want just one pair of shoes, buy a shoe for daily running.

  • Price
    Price
    $110
  • Weight
    Weight
    Men: 7oz
    Women: 5.9oz
  • Heel to toe drop
    Heel to toe drop
    Men: 0mm
    Women: 0mm

    The height difference from the heel to the forefoot, also known as heel drop, toe spring, heel to toe spring or simply drop.

    There are many opinions about what a good heel drop is. We do not recommend any in particular. Lean more in this video.

  • Heel height
    Heel height
    Men: 11mm
    Women: 11mm
  • Forefoot height
    Forefoot height
    Men: 11mm
    Women: 11mm
  • Width
    Width
    Men: normal
    Women: normal
  • Release date
    Release date
    Jul 2014
Show more facts

Summary

We spent 6.8 hours reading reviews from experts and users. In summary, this is what runners think:

8 reasons to buy

  • This one fits like a glove with a tad more room in the toe box for toe splaying.
  • The Vibram outsole continues to be very impressive on a multitude of trail surfaces because of its durability and dependable performance.
  • The mesh upper in the Trail Glove 3 keeps the foot cool and dry.
  • Many runners found the vibrant designs and multiple color schemes appealing.
  • Excellent proprioception is a common appreciation coming from many runners.
  • There is sufficient cushioning for minimalist runners to use the shoe for half marathons, according to some experts.
  • It is light and fast as noted in some reviews.
  • A reasonably-priced running shoe.

2 reasons not to buy

  • Most of the complaints were about its mid-sole, which apparently needed a tad more cushioning for better underfoot comfort.
  • Some said that the inner construction wasn’t optimized because they experienced blistering.

Bottom line

The Trail Glove 3 from Merrell caters to the needs of minimalist runners or those who are looking for an option that is as extremely close to barefoot running. The Merrell Trail Glove 3 is a great option for those who love to feel the tough and difficult trail while wearing a shoe that was built for speed.

Rankings

Top 17% overall
Best running shoes
Top 21% Merrell
Best Merrell running shoes
Bottom 35% most popular
Most popular trail running shoes

Expert Reviews

Experts are runners, who post reviews at youtube, directly at RunRepeat or at their own websites. Each expert is categorized from level 1 to level 5 based on expertise. See stats on expert reviews and how we calculate scores here.

Are you an expert? Apply to contribute here.

83 / 100 based on 6 expert reviews

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Updates to Merrell Trail Glove 3

  • The sole and the upper of the Merrell Trail Glove 3 were completely changed to improve one’s running experience. As a result of the updates, the shoe weighs around 15% lighter compared the previous version. It offers a much lighter weight without affecting its original performance.
  • The new sole of the Trail Glove 3 comes with an enhanced off-road grip, making it ideal for running on varied surfaces. It also offers more flexibility than its predecessors and has better ground contact.
  • The upper of the shoe was redesigned to deliver a more breathable and comfortable feel. Along with this is the new sneaker-like look of the shoe, a great look for daily use.

Merrell Trail Glove 3 size and fit

The Trail Glove 3 has the same fit with its predecessor. It has a wide forefoot and the heel and midfoot are of standard measurements. The shoe delivers great fit to runners with wide foot shape. Merrell is offering this shoe at a standard running shoe length.


Outsole

The outsole unit uses the Vibram Outsole TC1 that delivers impressive grip on various surfaces. It also gives added flexibility for an enhanced running experience. Together with this performance rubber sole is the trail protect plate that offers enough amount of foot protection against sharp stones and rough surfaces.


Midsole

The shoe uses the 4 mm CMEVA that delivers durable underfoot cushioning. It is light weight in nature yet it offers maximum shock absorption for a more responsive ride.


Upper

The upper uses the breathable air mesh that is also durable. It keeps the foot well-ventilated especially on long runs. This works perfectly well with the shoe’s non-removable footbed that is anti-microbial in nature and has the capacity to keep the foot odorless.

The shoe has TPU Rear Foot Sling that offers a reliable heel support. Together with the Merrell Omni-Fit lacing system, this shoe offers a secure and glove-like fit.

Comparison

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