Men's Merrell Road Glove 2

Comments about Mens Merrell Road Glove 2 Running Shoe:

I'm 73 inches (6'1", 1.8 meters) and 215 pounds (98 kg). My jogging pace is a 10 minute mile. I have medium arches and no over or under pronation. I recently developed Plantar Fascitis after suffering last year with Achilles Tendonitis. I decided to swith to minimalist footwear to try to strengthen my legs / feet & alter my stride - trying to land on balls of my feet and midfoot more. After 2 weeks off to rest plantar, I began with these and the Bare Access 2. It's been 3 weeks and these are great. I've worn with socks and without and had no problems. They seem to have just the right arch support - I have medium arches. There is plenty of room for the toes to spread out, maybe even a little too much, but I've had no problems and have been successfully working towards my goals. FYI, there is no room for inserts / orthotics which is something else I was trying to get away from.

Comments about Mens Merrell Road Glove 2 Running Shoe:

Ruining five miles every other day. My all time favorite running shoe! Really comfortable, great look and super lightweight.

Comments about Mens Merrell Road Glove 2 Running Shoe:

I mentioned in my previous review that there was something wrong with the arch support in this shoe. It's too hard, and the sockless liner seems to be firmer than the previous addition. I think it makes for a great run in socks, but I want the entire natural barefoot feel, therefore I do not want to wear socks. I've never had so many blisters from a pair of shoes, I put in 45 Miles in 5 mile increments and after every run my feet were torn up. As I said before I don't care how much I love the shoe, if it causes me discomfort after I run it's worthless. It's a (1) Star shoe. For the next addition, I would recommend going back to the RG1 for the base design, add the extra 2-3 millimeters of stack height if that's where you want to go with it, but leave the rest "Alone". I returned these and went back to the RG1 Model.

Chew On it.

Comments about Mens Merrell Road Glove 2 Running Shoe:

The RG2 is almost perfect. It features just the right level of rubber between your foot and the pavement. Don't confuse this with cushioning, this is not a "Soft" shoe you will feel everything you step on. However there is some ground connection lost between the former (RG1) & this years new installment (RG2). This may be a negative to some, however If using this shoe on terrain true to its name, a few extra millimetres of protection between you and the asphalt is just what the Road Glove needed. I'm all for the minimalist "get back to your roots movement," but mile after mile on the hard road takes its toll on your feet. I think the minimalist shoe should and will thrive on the natural trails of mother earth, but when cruising the path of the "Man Made" the focus of the shoe should be to maximize ground feel while not completely sacraficing impact protection against punishing pavement. The RG2 fits the bill.

Why such a strong review and only 4 stars?

I have much enjoyed the road miles I have racked up since acquiring these shoes. However it's the post run thats troubling me. The arch is "way!" too hard out of the box, and it rubs the bottom of my foot raw. The runs have been so good I'm trying to gut it out and see if they will break in. If they dont; its back the the RG1 (which is really my favorite all purpose shoe).

My other con regarding the RG2 lays within the heel cup. Its slightly larger than last years model and feels a little less "Glove Like" a feeling I much enjoyed with the previous model. However this is more of a preference than a deal breaker.

But alas it all comes down to the arch. If it softens up (As I am hoping) this is in my opinion the best 5 star road running shoe on the market.

If not? Then it drops to 1 star; a shoe is worthless if my feet are blistered after every run. I would then go back to the RG1.

Chew on it.