Details
Brand
Merrell
Heel To Toe Drop
0mm
Breathability
8/10
Latest Version
Yes
Terrain
Trail
Type
Minimalist
Key Features
• EVA Midsole• Breathable Mesh• Vibram Outsole• Zero Drop• 5.8 ounces• Extreme flexibility
Upper
Runners really like the upper of this shoe. The Merrell Pace Glove 3 has a tighter fitting mesh that locks the foot into place. Additionally, the mesh has a very breathable lining built into it. The upper features Merrell’s Omni-Fit lacing System in order to provide a tight, glove-like fit. The mesh is pretty soft and comfortable which is a big added bonus.
Midsole
The midsole features an EVA midsole. The EVA material offers a little bit of cushioning in order to absorb shock the runner will experience during their run. An EVA midsole is perfect for this type of shoe since it is lightweight.
Outsole
Like many trail shoes made by Merrell, the Merrell Pace Glove 3 features a Vibram outsole. The Vibram material offer a lot of flexibility while still giving the runner a lot of support throughout the bottom of the foot. The rubber also helps to let the runner know they have a lot of traction, wet or dry. It really gives the shoe the minimalistic feel while still supporting the foot.
Breathability
The breathability of the Merrell Pace Glove 3 is very good, as Merrell specifically made a breathable lining in the upper of the shoe to help. This breathability is essential in keeping the runner’s foot cool and dry during their run. If breathability is something you look for in your running shoe, you might want to consider the Pace Glove 3.
Comfort
For a trail running shoe that is made to be extremely minimalistic, this shoe does a great job at maintaining a high level of comfort. A big part of the comfort comes from the Vibram outsole, which allows natural movement of the foot. The EVA midsole also makes the shoe comfortable, helping to absorb shock. The upper of the shoe provides a secure, but not restrictive fit. All these features work together to make the Pace Glove 3 an extremely comfortable trail running shoe.
Style
The style of the Merrell Pace Glove 3 is very good, as there are a lot of nice color options to choose from. Besides the amounts of color options available, the shoe looks very modern and appealing without being too overboard. The shoe will draw a little bit of attention but doesn’t go out of its way to be flashy. It’s a good option for a shoe that looks nice and has plenty of options to choose from without going too overboard in the design.
Durability
In terms of durability, the Merrell Pace Glove 3 is really good. The Vibram outsole is long-lasting. Overall, the shoe is made of high-quality materials that don’t deteriorate quickly. The traction of the shoe is also reported to last a pretty long time, as runners have had success running over many different kinds of terrain for a long time without seeing a difference in traction. Most runners who used the shoe got a lot of running out of the shoe before it started to break down.
Protection
The EVA midsole and the TrailProtect pad provide the most amount of protection in the Pace Glove 3. The EVA midsole helps the shoe to absorb a lot of the shock so that the foot doesn’t feel nearly as much of the impact. This is perfect for a barefoot style shoe since it still gives the barefoot feel while running, without the shock of actually running barefoot. The TrailProtect pad basically does the same thing. It protects the underfoot from shock and other inconveniences that could lead to injury.
Responsiveness
The responsiveness of the Pace Glove 3 is one of the great features of this shoe. Since it’s a minimalistic running shoe, it doesn’t have a lot of cushioning to take away from the responsiveness. It’s like running barefoot, and when running barefoot, there isn’t going to be anything taking away from the fast response time. It is more responsive than many trail shoes on the market.
Support
Support in the Merrell Pace Glove 3 isn’t something that you will see a lot of, though again this is expected since it’s a minimalistic shoe. The biggest feature in terms of support is going to actually be the upper, composed of a very tight fitting mesh. This helps to support the foot by making sure it isn’t going to come loose or go anywhere out of the shoe.
Terrain
The Merrell Pace Glove 3 is a trail running shoe that works well on a variety of trails. The outsole was designed specifically to move over light to technical trails. To get the best life out of your shoes, keep them on the trails. Using these shoes on the road may cause premature wear.
Price
The Pace Glove 3 isn’t the cheapest by any means, but it’s not overpriced by any means for what you’re getting out of it. Going for around $110, you could definitely find cheaper trail shoes on the market. The thing is though, you’re getting a solid trail running shoe with that money, and it is absolutely worth the money you are going to be spending on it.
Drop
The drop of the shoe is 0mm. There is no drop since the shoe is intended to give the runner a barefoot-like running experience.
Stability
Since it’s such a minimalistic running shoe, the stability isn’t anything particularly spectacular, though the Pace Glove 3 doesn’t have terrible stability either. It keeps the foot locked into place very well with the tight fitting upper. However, there are no features that help runners that need extra stability due to pronation issues.
Flexibility
One of the other best features of the Merrell Pace Glove 3 is the flexibility. This is thanks to the minimalistic design. This flexibility helps give the runner the barefoot feeling.
Traction
The traction on the Merrell Pace Glove 3 is very good. Not only is it the traction good, but it lasts a long time. The traction is best suited for trails.
Bottom Line
The Merrell Pace Glove 3 is a great minimalistic shoe for female runners. For male runners looking for this shoe, look for the Merrell Trail Glove shoe. Though it isn’t the cheapest trail running shoe, it is a shoe that is well worth its price. For runners looking a high-quality minimalistic shoe, this may be the shoe for you.
