Women's Pulse Glove Review

The Following Guest post review was submitted by Idlehide , I would encourage you to check out her site at www.idlehide.com for great running and healthy food posts. If you'd like to guest post of Lose The Shoes please contact me here.

Review:

What's more exciting than heading out to pick up a new pair of shoes to review? I always see Kenny opening boxes of nifty running shoes and trying them out. A little bit envious? Perhaps, but he hooked me up with a pair to review!

I was able to go online and choose the color and model of my choice. I picked the Merrell Pulse Glove in a pretty purple and pink color. When I first opened the box I was a little taken back by the tent appearance of the shoe, but after putting them on I quickly dismissed my initial disapproval of the 'tent'. These shoes live up to their name 'glove' because they are so comfortable and literally fit like a glove.

 The sole of the shoe is a Vibram product and has a special type of rubber (IceTrek - a softer rubber that will grip wet or icy surfaces) meant for running in winter conditions. The purpose of the tent over the shoe is for wet and cold weather, which is perfect for our climate here by the ocean. It can be quickly wiped down and it's good to go and this way your laces remain dry and clean, it is also water resistant! Kenny would tell me that the sole is Zero Drop which means the heel and the forefoot are the same distance off the ground...meaning the heel isn't raised.

The toe box on these shoes is medium sized which gives your toes room to move around. Thinking of wearing these shoes bare foot? You're in luck, Merrell made sure their shoe is seam-free so you'll skip the blister part. The sole is 4mm thick and the size 9 shoe weights 6.7 oz.

The zipper is pretty cool, its a locking zipper so when its pointing towards the toes it will not go down, so you wont have to worry about the zipper dropping when running. If you're thinking that when you are running the zipper will flop around, well Merrell thought of that, the zipper is spring loaded to keep it in the proper postion.

 I wore the shoes for my post-half marathon run and I was really impressed by them. As you know I am a huge fan of the Nike Frees, but I will most definitely be wearing these for some future runs. The sole is minimal enough that it doesn't feel like a bulky shoe, yet it is enough protection for me. I am not sold on the extreme minimalistic shoes so I always look for the perfect balance and the Pulse Glove hits the spot.

Verdict? I really like these shoes! I really love the quality of Merrell products and I know I get the quality some other shoe brands lack. The Pulse Glove really is a great minimalistic shoe with the perfect amount of padding to the shoe.

Heidi's Questions:

Are you a fan of Merrell shoes?

Do you like minimalistic shoes or more bulky shoes?

Merrell Bare Access Review

I recently received a pair of Merrell Bare Access shoes to review and have been wearing them around the city for the last month. The Merrell Bare Access is in the Merrell Barefoot line and would be considered a transition shoe.

The idea behind Barefoot transition shoes like the Nike Free and Reebox RealFlex is that they help a runner who wants to run barefoot make that first step as a barefoot runner easier. I good pair of transition shoes will have all the traits of a barefoot shoe but offer a little more cushion to the runner.

The Following is what the Merrell Website says about the Bare Access:

For distance runners and those new on the path to barefoot running, our Bare Access 0mm drop running shoe gives you a barefoot feel, with added toe to heel cushioning. Still allowing your foot to land flat and follow its own natural motion, its cushioning protects from sustained impacts due to longer runs or a new barefoot training program.

UPPER / LINING
• Barefoot strobel construction offers flexibility and comfort
• Synthetic leather and mesh upper
• Reflective details for increased visibility in low light
• Breathable mesh lining treated with Aegis® antimicrobial solution resists odor
• Integrated footbed with 2mm EVA to cushion

MIDSOLE / OUTSOLE
• 8mm M Bound™ allows for cushioned entry into Bareform™ movement
• 0mm ball to heel drop keeps you connected to your terrain
• Wash as needed in cold water, gentle cycle and air dry
• Vegan friendly footwear
• Natural flex outsole with 2.5mm lug depth allows for dynamic foot movement
• Merrell Bare Access Sole / Sticky Rubber Pods

Merrell Bare Access Review:

Like the Merrell site states the Bare Access is a Barefoot style shoe that has a zero-drop sole, with a large toe box that is lightweight.

After reading that sentence you see that the Merrell Bare Access hits all the key points of a barefoot shoe, but will it get the passing grade?

The Sole:

The Merrell Bare Access has 10mm of cushion, with 8mm in the sole and 2mm in the footbed. Merrell is in partnership with Vibram who produces their soles and is the leader in that field.

With 10mm of cushion you'll lose some of that ground feel you'd like to have with a barefoot or minimal running shoe but that's the trade off with a transition shoe.

If I ever had a complaint about Merrell Barefoot shoes was that the heel portion of their sole was too narrow. With the Bare Access I feel they have widened the heel portion of the sole just enough.

The Sole is flexible but not as Flexible as I would like it for a barefoot shoe, but if you look at the Bare Access as a transitional shoe it's a good beginning but even the Nike Free or Reebok Realflex is more flexible.

Merrell says that their sole is made up of sticky rubber pods. The main portion of the sole is made of the "sticky rubber" with the heel and midfoot sections made of a harder rubber. I have been using the Bare Access shoes for about a month and I've noticed them become a little worn on the "sticky rubber" part then I expected.

Overall the Merrell Bare Access sole gets a passing grade.

The Toe Box:

All Merrell Barefoot shoes offer a pretty roomy toe box, and the Bare Access is the same. When looking for a Barefoot shoe you want one that offers a wide toe box that will allow your toes to naturally spread when your foot makes contact with the ground. For a first time Barefoot shoe runner you find they feel a little loose because your accustomed to your toes being squished.

I have seen bigger toe boxes in some other shoes, but I feel the Bare Access is big enough to earn a passing grade.

The Upper:

The upper of the Bare Access looks stylish and "normal," some of the first barefoot shoes to hit the market caused laughter but Merrell has  done it right with their barefoot line. The upper is made from synthetic leather and a breathable mesh.

The laces are standard with nothing really to mention. The upper has ample reflective parts that's perfect for running in low light, and is needed if this is to be used as a road shoe.

The Inner:

The Inner of this shoe is great, it's designed to be worn sockless and most of my time wearing these I have gone without socks. I enjoyed the feel of the inner, feeling no hot spots where the shoe rubs against my foot. The lining is treated with aegis antimicrobial solution designed to keep the oder down and so far it's standing up to my smelly feet.

Running:

Running in the Merrell Bare Access felt very comfortable and natural. Being a transition shoe with a little thicker sole you lose the true barefoot feeling with the ground feedback being a little muted, but the sole flexes well when running over uneven surfaces. Again being  a Transition shoe you don't get as much of that feeling that your toes are gripping the ground, as if you were wearing a pair of Vibram Five Fingers or even a pair of Vivobarefoot.

Casual:

The Bare Access shoes are very stylish and work great with a pair of jeans. As they are comfortable to wear, you could wear them all day at work with no issues.

Conclusion:

The Bare Access turned out to be a great Barefoot Transitional running shoe. The shoe can be used on all surfaces but will work best on a more packed surface. For me I plan of using my Bare Access shoe as a more casual shoe or workout shoe.

This shoe is best for someone that is looking at going from traditional shoes to barefoot shoes that are a little afraid to make the full leap, and want to transition slowly.

As a pure barefoot shoe it wouldn't get a high ranking, but as a transition barefoot shoe it gets a passing grade beating out the Reebox Realflex and Nike Free in my mind.

Happy Running

Kennyo

Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove Review

Looking to Try The Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove, I didn't have a chance to review this shoe so check out Birthdayshoes.com for the full review.

Preview:
Merrell says "Less is definitely more exploring with our Vibram®-soled Trail Glove natural adventure shoe. All the protection your feet need from rocks and roots, and an ultra-lightweight upper with a synthetic leather foot sling for stability fits like a glove."

The Trail Glove is the trail-specific model in the line. Based on my testing, the Trail Glove is the first minimalist shoe I’ve tried that could be considered as a replacement for Vibram’s Five Fingers line, I only said considered.

When I first tried on the Trail Glove, I was underwhelmed. It has two areas of padding, which immediately felt mild squishiness. Also, the medial side of the sole touched my arch. It wasn’t supportive, but the feel was unfamiliar. I walked around in them a bit and decided to delay judgment until I did some running.

It won't take you long once running to relaize that these shoes are something different, even special. You'll find that these shoes are flawless on trails, and don't feel out of place when running on the road as well, and you'll enjoy them on sand, mud, leaf-covered technical tails, gravel, and everything in between.

The conclusion- no shoe has come closer to minimalist perfection. I’ll go over the technical details shortly, but first I want to share my criteria for a great minimalist shoe. A great minimalist shoe must have the following qualities:

• Zero-drop sole- the heel cannot be higher than the forefoot- the sole is a uniform thickness,
• Wide toe box- this allows the toes to splay,
• Thin, relatively flexible heel- This is not as critical as it will be determined by the terrain. The more rugged the terrain, the thicker the heel (more protection),
• An upper material that does not interfere with foot function,
• A closure system that allows for a degree of customization of fit,
• A liner that eliminates the need to wear socks, and
• Lightweight.

Check out my Full Review of the Merrell Bare Access

Kennyo