I would love to hear from someone who has tried both an Altra shoe and a Merrell shoe how they compare in fit. I have the Altra Adam and find the toebox excellent, I would be interested to know if the Merrells are wider or narrower than that.

If you visit www.merrell.com/barefoot you can see where you can try the shoes before buying them. Today was the launch day so there will be quite a few stores that will carry them.

Here you go damien. Nice comparison. http://minimalistrunningshoes.org/reviews/merrell-trail-glove-shoe-review

Thanks for that link Theo.

Gotta say, they look much better in "real" photos vs shopped up websites photos.

Yes, great link. That was very helpful, thanks.

And another comparison http://www.irunfar.com/2011/02/merrell-trail-glove-vs-new-balance-minimus-trail-review.html

Josh

No problem. I was for sure going to get the Adam but now I've heard so many great things about the trail glove that I'm undecided. From the pictures, I thought the trail glove looked narrow but they are apparently very wide. I'm also curious about the durability of the adam. I have no doubts about the merrell-vibram combination holding up. At this point I'm really only waiting on the trail glove to be available on running warehouse. Who am I kidding I'm sure I end up buying both.

I was set to get the NB Minimus, but all the great reviews of the Trail Glove have me thinking. I'll probably wait for some more reviews/comparisons, since i won't be starting my trial running until the spring anyway.

I picked up a pair over the weekend and I have to say they are my new favorite running shoe. They meet my needs (similar to the Vibram FiveFinger KSO Trek) but they look so much better. The colors and styling are also great, and I even feel comfortable wearing them to work. They have plenty of room in the toe box. The only area I found them tight in was the center/arch, and that only made them slightly difficult to get on and off, and did not affect the fit once they were on.

I wrote up my initial reactions at: http://www.onandoffthetrail.com/2011/02/review-merrell-barefoot-trail-glove.html

They have to make the shoes snug through the arch and forefoot otherwise your foot slides around too much due to the big toebox. Although I haven't tried the Merrells yet, the Altras have a similar feel in that regard.

Can anybody comment on the level of "arch support" in these shoes? I still haven't been able to try on any locally, and thus, haven't bought any, but a good friend tried them on and said he noticed significant arch buildup. Admittedly, he tools around in Soft Stars or less all the time, like myself, but neither of us can stomach any "arch support".

Is this the case and I'm just hearing about it? How flat soled are these? Zero drop is all well and good, but if there's a freaking hill in between, it ruins it.

An acquaintance of mine tried some on in a store and said he couldn't stand the arch. He said that although it was flexible, he didn't like the way it pressed up into his foot. He opted not to buy them.

I have a couple of review pairs en-route. If you can wait a little longer, as soon as I get them I can let you know my thoughts.

I just posted a review in the Merrell section of the directory.

It's not so much arch support in the literal sense but it's the lacing system that slings or cradles the arch. You can increase or decrease this by adjusting the laces. I tried it cinched up tight and it can be irritating if you not used to it. A medium tension lace job is more comfortable. Main purpose of this so called arch is keep your feet in place while going downhill. Heel and forefoot are level, no raise that I can see or feel.