I delayed writing this review to give myself ample time to give a thorough assessment . In short, if you're a good runner; you'll love these shoes. They'll work on musculature you didn't realize were so important for balance and endurance. If you're Not a Runner....You'll become a runner, or at least a better one!

I own both this pair and pair of Vibram 5 fingers. I specifically purchased the VFF's for sporting around the house in lieu of loafers---In my personal opinion, I believe the VFF's are great for casual wear (working out, chores, boating, errands, etc), but never considered them for running simply because of the construction. If I'm going to spent >$100 on running shoes, I expect them to last. The Merrell Trail Glove meets and exceeds my expectations. Be warned, the sizing for me was spot on, however, that isn't always the case with for some people, so a visit to the store to get sized would help. Initially, the feeling of the shoes is a bit awkward, but don't let this discourage you till you actually get out and put some miles on them. Due diligence is required before being able to run the first few miles, otherwise you'll be in recovery for a couple days afterwards. Once you get acclimated though, you'll be finding yourself tackling longer distances and steeper inclines on rocky pavement, winding trails, and just about anything you feel up to.