Merrell Trail Glove 4

Great minimal trail shoe. The sole is thick enough that you don't have to worry about foot pain but thin enough to actually feel the trail. Traction is good in dry conditions, not so much in any kind of snow or ice. I don't know about rain as I live in the Southwest and have never had the chance to test that. Overall a really great shoe.

Good shoe with a much-needed update. Like the eccentric lacing system and the tongue. Takes forever to wear down the tough vibram bottoms so I regularly push 700 plus miles in these shoes. The upper also has vastly improved durability. The flat stretchy laces seem to work well. These shoes are equally at home on trail or road. Awesome do it all lightweight trainer or racer.

Two gripes: one about the shoe and the other about the company's marketing. The lacing system forgoes the traditional eyelets in favor of fabric lacing loops. For the most part this is an improvement. The terminal loop is a bit too far forward and it takes quite a bit of trial and error to get enough tension in the upper laces to keep the heel from slipping without overtightening the laces. Been running competitively for 10 years and this is by far the most delicate and finnicky lacing job I've dealt with. With regards to marketing it seems Merrell has moved this shoe from the trail running to "fitness" category on their website. Perhaps this is a move to sell more of the shoe and appeal to the masses but I worry the company may be phasing out the shoe or fixing to shed their minimalist trail bona fides. The latest knit and mesh TG4's are just plan strange and needlessly expensive, further stoking this fear for me.