Merrell Trail Glove 7 review

We give a big thumbs-up to the Merrell Trail Glove 7 for:

• Minimalist running enthusiasts who need a shoe that's built for the trails.
• Runners keen on trying a zero-drop shoe, similar to Altra, but with less cushioning for a more natural feel underfoot.
• Trail runners looking for a minimalist shoe that's also comfy enough for everyday walking or hiking.

One of the biggest letdowns of the Merrell Trail Glove 7 is its outsole durability, which we think is only fit for trails and not for mixed use with asphalt. If you're looking for a zero-drop shoe but need something more durable, we suggest the Altra Lone Peak 7, which holds up much better.

Also, it's not the ideal shoe for a barefoot winter experience. In that case, we prefer the Vibram FiveFingers V-Trek. It's better suited for colder temperatures and offers the ultimate minimalist experience, though it might lack enough cushioning for some.

Some may believe that minimalist shoes don't have a midsole, likely due to the popularity of the FiveFingers saga—although most of them do have a midsole.

The Merrell Trail Glove 7 features 16.1-mm of FloatPro EVA foam. And to us, this feels like the perfect middle ground.

It keeps the minimalist spirit alive while providing enough cushioning to protect your muscles and create a bit more distance between your foot and the ground.

In the forefoot, we measured 16.0 mm, just 0.1 mm less than in the heel.

With this stack height, only runners really used to minimalist shoes can handle runs lasting more than an hour.

Merrell says that the shoe features a true 0-mm drop, and our measurement came in at an almost imperceptible 0.1 mm.

That's a tiny difference, especially considering we're accustomed to seeing much larger variances in nearly every other shoe, as highlighted in our article. Big props to Merrell for nailing this one!

With its ultra-thin midsole and minimalist design, we understood Merrell couldn't opt for a super-soft foam formula.

True to our expectations, at 28.8 HA, the FloatPro midsole is satisfyingly dense and firm, exactly what we were hoping for. After all, a minimalist shoe is built to really engage and strengthen your foot muscles!

When we put the shoe in the freezer for 20 minutes to mimic cold conditions, our Shore A durometer showed a reading of 36.8 HA.

That's a 27.6% difference, which aligns with the average. However, since this midsole is already firm at room temperature, we didn't feel a big change.

After all, once you pass the 30.0 HA threshold, everything feels really firm underfoot.

The insole is a bit thinner than average at 3.4 mm, but that's typical for this kind of shoe.

Given its narrow design, we anticipated a tight fit, but it wasn’t overly restrictive. We made a 1:1 gel replica of the shoe and we measured its width at 93.2 mm.

Interestingly, while earlier we noted the shoe seemed lighter on paper than in reality, this time the opposite was true—it felt roomier on foot than its measurements suggested.

And why did it feel roomier? Well, this is mostly because the shoe has a non-tapered toebox, with 76.8 mm in the big toe area. Seriously, it fits just like a glove!

We were pleased with the height measurement, as the Trail Glove 7 never caused any uncomfortable pressure on our toes.

Despite its narrow design, the Trail Glove 7 feels really stable when running straight, but it truly shines when taking corners. With its firm midsole and narrow build, it's like a racing car with bucket seats for your feet.

We just mentioned how awesome it is at taking corners, and a lot of that comes from the super-low torsional rigidity of the shoe. Of course, we rated at 1/5 in the lab.

And the heel, just as you'd expect with any minimalist shoe, follows the same approach. There's no heel counter, no added stability elements, nothing. Another 1/5!

When we first unboxed the shoe in the lab, we could tell it was really narrow. Now it's time to put numbers to our observations.

Measuring at 102.1 mm, it's indeed quite narrow, although that's what we expect from this type of shoe.

The rear of the shoe, measuring 79.7 mm, sticks to the same minimalist approach. It's pretty much the opposite of a stability shoe, yet it's surprisingly stable!

We've already seen in this lab test how bendable this shoe is, but there's one test left: the longitudinal stiffness. Obviously, this shoe doesn't have any kind of plate, but is it stiff?

Well, of course not! At just 10.5N, it's one of the least stiff shoes we've ever tested, making it a delight for all-day wear, even in the mountains.

We repeated the 20-minute freezer test to gauge the shoe's stiffness in harsh winter conditions. Afterward, it took 11.9N of force to bend the shoe.

That's only a 13.9% difference, but to be honest, we don't think this is a shoe meant for the coldest winters anyway.

Weighing in at 7.8 oz or 221.0g, the Trail Glove 7 seems light on paper. But considering its low stack height and minimalist design, we believe Merrell could have done a better job.

Ideally, they should aim to get this shoe under 7 ounces, perhaps in the next version.

Our first impression of the upper on the Merrell Trail Glove 7 was very positive. The mesh looks high-quality, though we initially had doubts about its breathability since it's quite thick. But the real test was yet to come.

First, we conducted our favorite test for breathability—the smoke test. Here, we were pleasantly surprised, especially for those looking for a summer shoe, as the airflow was impressive. We gave it a 4/5 rating.

Next, we examined the upper under a powerful light, which instantly revealed all the ventilation holes and the reinforced parts of the upper. Merrell has done a smart job balancing breathability with maintaining structure and reinforcements.

To get an even closer look at those ventilation holes, we used a microscope. We uncovered a dual-layer mesh filled with ventilation holes.

Finally, we analyzed the upper, focusing on its potential for stretchiness, which we found to be minimal.

However, what really impressed us was the discovery of a very well-padded, high-quality upper.

Our first Dremel test is here, where we'll assess the toebox durability.

As we observed earlier in the microscope images, the shoe features a very breathable engineered mesh. This usually results in a less-than-stellar performance in this test.

However, Merrell smartly integrated a protective piece into a significant portion of the toebox. This effectively shields it, allowing the shoe to avoid the lowest score and earn a 3/5.

Next, we tested the heel padding durability of the shoe and, honestly, it was disappointing at a mere 1/5.

The damage was huge, suggesting that runners who frequently wear holes in this area should be wary of the Trail Glove 7.

We flipped the shoe to check out the Vibram outsole, known for grip and performance. However, this time we found a softer-than-usual compound at 76.4 HC.

We're curious if this will affect its durability. Let's see...

For our third and final Dremel test, we ran the tool at 10K RPM against the maze-like Vibram outsole.

Sadly, we noticed more damage than expected at 1.5 mm. This leads us to suggest the shoe is suitable only for trails, but not for concrete, as it would likely wear out too soon.

The previous damage is particularly troubling, considering the mere 1.8-mm outsole thickness we just carefully measured.

As we mentioned at the beginning of the review, one of the most interesting aspects of this shoe is its Vibram outsole. Specifically, it's the Ecostep Recycle outsole made with 30% recycled rubber.

It performs well on easy or moderate trails with its 2.5 mm lugs, but it's not meant for mud or technical terrain at all.

Crafted from a minimalist perspective, we weren't expecting any reflective elements on this shoe.

But here's a cool idea for Merrell—how about a glow-in-the-dark brand logo?

We believe many might expect a thin, minimalist tongue, but that's not what you get here.

At a plush 8.3 mm, the tongue is incredibly padded, delivering a surprisingly high level of comfort.

Merrell has included a fully-gusseted tongue, which is always a big plus, but it's particularly needed in a trail running shoe.

Why? Because it does an excellent job at keeping debris away.

We didn't find a heel tab on the Merrell Trail Glove 7. This wasn't a surprise, though, since the brand also skipped it in the previous version.

Unlike most running shoes, Merrell glues the insole in, making it impossible to remove. And honestly, given its unique shape, we'd struggle to replace it with just about any other insole anyway.