Facts
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.
Neutral / cushion / high arch
Shoes for runners who does not need any additional arch support (Around 50% of runners). Best for people with high or medium high arches. See the best neutral shoes.
Stability / overpronation / normal arch
Shoes for runners who needs arch support (Around 45% of runners). Best for runners with a normal arch. See the best stability shoes.
Motion control / severe overproanation / 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.
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.
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.
Neutral / cushion / high arch
Shoes for runners who does not need any additional arch support (Around 50% of runners). Best for people with high or medium high arches. See the best neutral shoes.
Stability / overpronation / normal arch
Shoes for runners who needs arch support (Around 45% of runners). Best for runners with a normal arch. See the best stability shoes.
Motion control / severe overproanation / 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.
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.
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.
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
Popularity
Ratings
My Rating
Expert Reviews
Experts are running shoe geeks, 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.
84 / 100 based on 8 expert reviews
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100 / 100 by Jamie Husain • Jamie Husain • Level 1 expert
Absolutely love them. One thing I would say about sizing is… you check the sizing on them, 'cause they run--they size a bit different.
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84 / 100 by Jennings Askew • Jennings Askew • Level 1 expert
They fit me really well. [They] have a good, wide toe box.
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80 / 100 by Fellrnr • Fellrnr • Level 5 expert
While this is the Trail version, I find it's ideal for Road use as the outsole is not aggressive.
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80 / 100 by Top Ten Shoes of Sports • Top Ten Shoes of Sports • Level 3 expert
These minimal running shoes have a rubber sole that gives your feet comfort, great cushioning and stability.
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86 / 100 by The Shoes for Me • The Shoes for Me • Level 2 expert
It is very light and appears very durable
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80 / 100 by RUN Forefoot • Bretta Riches • Level 2 expert
Overall, if you have wide feet, do a lot of long distance running on the roads or on the trails, and are looking for a shoe with a tad more protection and durability than most barefoot running shoes, the Merrell Trail Glove 3 is a great choice.
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95 / 100 by Ultrarunning FX injury free • Pete Sercel • Level 1 expert
The more I run in the TG-3s the more I REALLY LOVE these shoes. Lace them up tight and they feel like running barefoot but without the stone bruises. Just fantastic.
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91 / 100 by All Outdoors Guide • Sam Hardy • Level 1 expert
The Trail Glove 3 is an impressive successor to the other two Trail Glove models and certainly is one of the most highly recommended styles on the market. People who are already big fans of these styles will certainly be happy with this model.
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.