Merrell Trail Glove Review - A different choice for backpackers

Anybody backpacking for any length of time in the earths warmer parts will no doubt spend most of their time in sandals or flip flops. However, for all but the most hardcore, carrying a pair of shoes for longer walks and sightseeing, traversing some less clean city areas etc. is a necessity.

However the choice of many young backpackers are clunky walking boots, pretty much unsuited for most independent travel. Hot, heavy and bulky, a nightmare in the tropics.

For a 4 month trip to Asia early this year (2013), and predominantly sticking to the main backpacker circuit this year my shoe requirements, were as follows:

• lightweight, the top criteria for almost all backpacking clobber.
• hardwearing enough.
• slimline as would spend a lot of time in the pack
• quick drying. Light jungle trekking is soggy, and quick drying footwear normally a better choice than waterproof footwear as feet obviously sweat copiously in hot countries.
• An optional extra would be smart enough to wear to a restaurant in the cities.

After having been recommended vibram 5 fingers, a little too eccentric for my liking I stumbled across Merrell Trail Gloves in one of the London branches of Field and Trek. The first thing that's striking is the weight, ~176g, and slim profile. This is for a good reason as these are designed as barefoot trail running shoes. The barefoot philosophy very much centres around our natural, forefoot striking running style and is very much in vogue. However it is not for everybody and takes some getting used to so if you have a need for lots of arch support or padding these may not be suitable.

Also striking when you put these on, and related to their intended use for barefoot running is the wide and airy toe box. This makes for a very comfortable fit for those with wider feet.

After 4 months of use from Malaysia through Thailand and Cambodia to Laos, including some multi day light treks with small packs, lots of long public transport journeys, and even a few runs these have come through admirably and am very pleased with the choice. Now my feet are used to them I use them as go to shoes for normal walks back in the UK, and offroad runs. I was concerned on longer walks that the lack of padding would take it's toll but inexplicably have not encountered any issues.

Soles are Vibram which give a good level of grip and flexibility. Overall wear rate on the soles has been low and when these fall apart finally will certainly replace. 

Pros:

• Uber lightweight
• Tough, they've stood up to quite a lot with no signs of glue unsticking etc.
• Pack small. Hard to get a much smaller shoe.
• Dry quickly. With minimal padding these dry quickly and don't become heavy when wet.
• Comfortable

Cons:

• Won't suit people who need more sophisticated foot support
• Although great for day to day travel, certainly not what I'd call smart or a nice restaurant
• Quite expensive as lightweight trail shoes seem to be
•  As with many shoes worn barefoot can get a bit smelly when damp

Rating
Performance: 9/10
Value for money: 8/10

Conclusion
If the barefoot style works for your feet, a well made, fantastically lightweight option for long backpacking trips.