Merrell Vapor Glove 3

Overall Grades And Reviews

8.7 Overall Grade
4 reviews

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LetsRun.com Reviewer Ratings

Shoe Comparison

Shoe comparison
Merrell Vapor Glove 3
HOKA ONE ONE Tecton X 2
Nike Pegasus Trail 3
Saucony Peregrine 13
Image
Merrell Vapor Glove 3
This Shoe
HOKA ONE ONE Tecton X 2
Top Rated Trail Shoe For Sale
Nike Pegasus Trail 3
Next Most Comfortable Trail Shoe For Sale (after this shoe)
Saucony Peregrine 13
Most Durable Trail Shoe For Sale
Shoe Properties
Shoe Type
Trail
Trail
Trail
Trail
Pronation Control
Stability
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
5.9 oz. (men's), 5 oz. (women's)
8.8 oz. (men's), 7.4 oz. (women's)
11.3 oz. (men's), 9.3 oz. (women's)
11.3 oz. (men's), 10 oz. (women's)
Stack Height
38mm.
36mm.
28mm.
Forefoot Height
33mm.
26mm.
24mm.
Drop Height
5 mm.
10 mm.
4 mm.
Upper material
Matryx Material
Updated reinforced
Shoe Released
Q3 2017
Q2 2023
Q2 2021
Q1 2023
MSRP
$80
$225
$130
$140
LRC Ratings
Out of 10
Overall
8.7
9.1
8.8
8.8
Comfort
8.9
8.7
8.9
8.7
Cushioning
7.6
8.9
8.4
8.5
Durability
6.9
8.6
8.1
8.3
Appearance
8.3
8.7
8.7
8.7
Value
7.7
8.4
8.1
8.4

Reader Reviews

  • Simply the best barefoot shoe ever made

    75 miles per week, neutral pronator, medium arches
    Overall
    9.0
    Comfort
    10.0
    Cushioning
    10.0
    Durability
    3.0
    Appearance
    10.0
    Value
    7.0

    There is no doubt about it - there is no better shoe on the market for barefoot runners looking to provide minimal protection for their skin than the Vapor Glove 3. It gives you the full barefoot feel. It supports excellent form and posture. It's how your foot is designed to land.

    The only downsides? I don't wear the VaporGlove to race.I need something marginally thicker to race in. I've found I exist in a very niche (nonexistent?) market of serious, subelite runners training for mile-10k on the track who care about barefoot running. As such, it's difficult to find something that is close to barefoot but allows me to race without having to watch my step. The two I've found are the Saucony Havoc XC2 flat (good for trail racing for barefoot runners) and the Saucony Men's Endorphin Racer 2 Track Shoe.

    The other consideration with the Merrell Vapor Glove 3 is that for a serious runner who puts in 70-100 miles per week, they will not last very long. 2 months if you're lucky. The upper will split apart in that time, however, i typically just sow them back together and extend their life another month or so.

    If you shop around, this doesn't need to be a particularly pricey shoe. I've found it for $40-50 online. Can sometimes run up to $70-80. The new Vapor Glove 4 is exactly the same thing and is being sold for much more.

  • FiveFingers, minus the toes

    30 miles per week, neutral pronator, low arches
    Overall
    9.0
    Comfort
    10.0
    Cushioning
    1.0
    Durability
    4.0
    Appearance
    5.0
    Value
    6.0

    I've been running in minimalist shoes for ten years now, starting with VFF's. Then Merrell released the Vapor Glove and delivered me from toe-shoe shame. If you're looking for shoes that are basically a pair of nylon socks with a thin Vibram sole, these are the shoes for yous. If I had the patience to toughen up my feet and run barefoot, I would. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of patience, nor do I have the pain tolerance for broiling hot pavement in the summer or snow and ice in the winter (New England, baby). Starting with the original Barefoot Vapor Glove and following through the subsequent iterations, I've gone through 15 pairs of these things since 2014. They are not what I'd call "durable" but, then again, they're not what most people would call "shoes." My ideal running shoes would be the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs guy's polymer spray-on kicks, but until then I'll keep buying these babies.

  • Great minimalist shoe

    25 miles per week, overpronator, low arches
    Overall
    8.0
    Comfort
    9.0
    Cushioning
    1.0
    Durability
    7.0
    Appearance
    8.0
    Value
    8.0

    This shoe is great if you are looking for a minimalist shoe. That's obviously why I gave it a cushioning of 1 star. It's just 3 mm of rubber between you and the ground. The upper has a bit of durability problems after running around 250 miles in them. It starts to break apart where the forefoot flexes. The sole has almost no wear. I ran it mostly on roads and raced mostly on dirt and grass. The shoe fits a skinnier foot better than a wide one. So be warned if you have a large foot.

  • The only barefoot shoe that's actually close to barefoot

    75 miles per week, medium arches
    Overall
    9.0
    Comfort
    10.0
    Cushioning
    10.0
    Durability
    3.0
    Appearance
    9.0
    Value
    6.0

    As someone trying to become accustom to "barefoot" (extremely minimal) running beginning a few years ago, the Vapor Gloves came as a huge relief. They are truly zero drop, and they have only a very, very thin sole that really allows your feet to mimic barefoot running while protecting them from glass/sharp rocks/etc. If you genuinely care about barefoot running, but live in a city or someplace where you can't go completely barefoot everyday, and you don't want to deal with freakish toe shoes, this is your shoe.

    You have to step carefully on very rocky trails, but if you're interested in barefoot shoes, this slight discomfort should be welcome and expected.

    The only downside is that for a serious runner like me who runs between 60-80 miles most weeks of the year, these shoes wear down quick. I can go 2, 3 months max before they fall apart completely. That is frustrating. But there is no barefoot shoe on the market that is even close to the Vapors.