Merrell Big Sky Jacket Review

Hey, guess what?  It’s Vendemmia season!  One of the sweetest events of the fall, and I feel kind of bad that it’s taken me this long to acknowledge it.

OK, I had to Google it; I had no idea what Vendemmia was.  But that’s why I like doing research for these product reviews: because I never know what sort of interesting information I’m going to stumble across. I got to Vendemmia via Merrell’s Big Sky jacket, which of course I’ll tell you about shortly – but first, a bit about its inspiration.

Merrell Big Sky jacket

Vendemmia is the fall grape harvesting and crushing time in the historic wine regions of Italy.  It’s hard to predict the exact dates, as the kickoff depends on the grapes reaching their peak ripeness, which can vary by vineyard throughout the country.  Vendemmia is the time of year when wine-making families stop whatever else they're doing to focus all their attention on getting grapes off the vine and processed – it's a period that entails long days of labor and careful attention to detail.  Nights are spent relaxing, and by late fall the first editions of new wines are available in restaurants and tasting rooms for the public to enjoy.

Merrell used the traditional Vendemmia as the inspiration for a line of fall apparel that combines Old World materials and styling with performance and comfort features.  The Big Sky jacket comes from that collection, which the website says is made for “long days on the trail and longer nights with friends.”

Interior fleece on left, exterior wool on right

The exterior of the Big Sky is about as traditional as you can get, with an all-weather wool fabric blend that is brushed smooth and soft, with practically no itchiness that wool sometimes causes.  However, the interior layers bring the jacket into the 21^st century, with super soft fleece interior lining, and Merrell’s Aeroblock fabric that provides high wind resistance and breathability.   

There’s also a bit of nylon to provide stretchiness and full range of motion, resulting in an overall fabric blend of 62% polyester, 27% wool, and 11% nylon.  Wind resistance of the jacket is 12 cubic feet per minute per square meter (or CFM – I had to look that one up too), which places it squarely in the 10-15 CFM range of most midweight softshell jackets.  However, the Big Sky insulates better than soft shells, as the wool combination maintains body heat much more effectively than many synthetic materials.

Even more than the material performance, I’m most impressed with the styling of the Big Sky.  It’s got a classic Old World look, and truly would be equally at home on the trail or a fancy Italian restaurant.  And since the jacket is so cozy and comfortable, you can wear it for hours on end with no problem.  I wear it to church on Sundays, and keep it on for lounging around the house the rest of the afternoon.

Sometimes there’s a lot to be said for the old ways, whether it’s the longstanding art of winemaking or the stylish utility of well-designed apparel.  Merrell’s Big Sky is an ideal casual option for cool autumn days and nights – whether you’re enjoying Vendemmia in Italy or fall festivities closer to home.  It is available in four colors and retails for $139 from the Merrell website.

*Product provided by Merrell.

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Merrell Bare Access 2 (and Arc 2) Shoe Review

Perhaps more than any other company, Merrell is an ideal example of how an established shoe manufacturer can evolve in response to changing times. 

They were the first major company to embrace the barefoot running movement, and produced an entire line of minimalist products as good as anything else on the market.  However, they also realized that not everyone is ready or willing to go completely minimal, so they created a separate line that incorporates all the biomechanical advantages of minimalist shoes, but with just enough structure and cushioning to welcome transitional or “moderate” minimalists.

Merrell Bare Access 2 (men's, left) and Bare Access Arc 2 (women's, right)

That line is the M-Connect series, which is being progressively introduced over this fall and next spring.  And since I happen to live with a moderate minimalist, I’m curious to see how the M-Connect line appeals to each of us.  We received our first test pairs, the Bare Access 2 (men’s) and Bare Access Arc 2 (women’s)*, just prior to our trip to Zion this fall, so we had some great opportunities for testing.

At the top of Angels Landing in Zion

(*To simplify things for the purpose of this review, I’m going to refer to them both as simply Bare Access men’s or women’s – but female readers take note that your version has a slightly different name.)

As the name implies, the Bare Access 2 are updated versions of a model first released in 2011.  They have traditional running shoe styling, and weigh in at a very light 7.0 oz for the men’s shoe and 5.5 for the women’s.

Much of the lightweight construction is thanks to the thin mesh uppers, which are reinforced by long stability overlays incorporated into the lacing to secure the midfoot in place …

... but are airy enough to provide outstanding cooling and/or drying as necessary.

Both men’s and women’s models are built on the same last as Merrell’s popular Barefoot line, although the fit of the Bare Access feels noticeably wider through the midfoot and arch area.  I’ve never had a problem with the Barefoot series lasts, but if those models proved too narrow for you, the Bare Access will be an improvement.

The toe boxes are plenty wide on the Bare Access 2, allowing your feet to splay naturally …

… and the entire shoe is flexible enough to let your entire foot move in any manner it wants as well.

Like most of Merrell’s Barefoot line, the heel collar of the Bare Access is thin and soft, and interior of the shoe is designed for sockless use.  The microfiber footbed (along with the lacing system) prevents slipping on hills, and the entire interior fees very comfortable against bare skin.

Stack height for the shoes is 13.5mm for the men’s version and 12.5mm for the women’s.  8mm of that is from EVA midsole cushioning with zero drop from heel to toe, and the rest is from the insole and outsole. 

Merrell once again uses high-durability Vibram rubber for its Bare Access outsole; the pattern is sort of similar to the Road Glove shoe, and like that shoe, the Bare Access outsole is ideally suited for hybrid road and trail use.  I’ve done an equal amount of each in my pair, and I feel confident using the Bare Access on everything but highly technical trails.

As a transitional – or moderate, as I’ve described it – shoe, the Bare Access is an outstanding option; there’s enough cushioning and protection to keep you comfortable, but all the construction aspects you need to allow for natural running.  From a minimalist standpoint, the midsole is higher and ground feel is lower than what I prefer, but the Bare Access would be great for long distance road (or light trail) running to give you a margin of error when your legs get fatigued and your form may start to fall apart.

Merrell’s Bare Access 2 (men’s) and Bare Access Arc 2 (women’s) shoes retail for $90 from the Merrell website.  They are also available from Amazon.com at the links below, where some sizes and colors are discounted:

Merrell Men's Bare Access 2

Merrell Women's Bare Access Arc 2

*Products provided by Merrell.  Affiliate sales support Running and Rambling.

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Merrell Barefoot Hylidae Wrap Women's Sandal Review

*Admin note: a standard review follows below, along with an announcement from Merrell and a product review update afterward.

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One of our family’s annual springtime traditions is to order the kids their summer sandals.  With the prospect of hot days, lot of outdoor activity, and frequent trips to the lake, river, or beach on tap, they need something that can handle a wide variety of uses as well as repeated trips in and out of the water.

In previous years we typically get them Tevas or Land’s End water sandals, but I often find myself wishing there was something more in line with the barefoot ideal.  It seemed crazy that the vast majority of sandals still had built-up heels and thick midsole cushioning – which was why I was very happy to get a look at Merrell’s Summer 2012 footwear catalog.

Merrell Barefoot Hylidae Wrap sandal, Drizzle color

More specifically, my daughter has been wearing the Merrell Barefoot Hylidae Wrap sandal for about a month now, which is part of the “Water” subcategory of the company’s extensive Barefoot line.  The male equivalent is the Aqua Wrap, which in my opinion isn’t nearly as colorful a name as Hylidae, which is the scientific name for a Family of tree frogs – many of which, like the sandals themselves, are semi-aquatic.

Like any good tree frog, the Hylidae Wrap is also very brightly colored – at least, my daughter’s version (known as Drizzle) is, with a color scheme that’s right in her pre-teen wheelhouse.   You can also get them in silver or black, but no one wants to see a black tree frog, right?  For a summertime water shoe, the brighter, the better – at least in my daughter’s opinion.

Obviously there are a lot of reasons why I approve of the shoe also.  There’s a mere 4mm compression molded insole for basic comfort while maintaining outstanding ground feel.  It’s a completely flat, flexible platform with no drop from heel to toe.  At a mere 5.2 oz, it’s very lightweight, and the upper is open enough to allow full freedom of movement of the foot during any activity.  And if you happen to insist on vegan footwear, the Hylidae Wrap is a safe choice in that regard as well.

The upper has drawn my daughter a lot of attention because of its styling.  There’s something about the criss-crossing of nylon straps and synthetic leather along with the contrasting color that catches the eye; I stopped counting the number of times people spontaneously told my daughter how much they like her shoes – and for an 11-year-old girl, that’s a pretty cool thing to happen.

Two of the straps are Velcro closures, so there’s a lot of adjustability for individual preferences.  All of the synthetic leather surfaces have a thin neoprene lining for additional comfort, along with an antimicrobial coating to manage odor control.  My daughter wears these as all-day shoes and hasn’t had any problems with discomfort.

Antimicrobial coating is also used on the EVA footbed, which is contoured to slightly cradle the foot and keep it secure inside the upper.

Of course, tree frogs are known for their sticky grip, and the Hylidae does a great job of mimicking that characteristic with a high performance rubber outsole.  The only odd thing about the outsole rubber is Vibram’s name for it: they call it the Gecko Glove outsole, a reptilian moniker that doesn’t jive with the amphibian theme of the shoe.  But maybe that’s just me being picky.

For practical purposes, the Vibram outsole provides great traction on nearly every possible surface.  There are 2mm lugs to help grip in loose gravel, and the rubber compound holds on pretty effectively on wet rocks.  The outsole is also non-marking, in case your daughter wants to wear them to gym class when fall rolls around. 

Thanks to its ability to combine high performance aquatic function with barefoot friendly construction, Merrell’s Barefoot Hylidae Wrap is probably one of the best developments of summer for both my daughter and me.  It retails for $85 from Amazon.com.

*Product provided by Merrell

**If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.

**

Two more Merrell related notes …

1)  This week the company launched a new promotional campaign with a simple yet very noble goal: using its love of the outdoors as a catalyst to build a community of athletes who exercise outside.  They’re calling it The Pack, and there’s only one rule: go outside and do something!  A promotional video follows below, which was especially timely for my family, in that it prominently features stand up paddleboarding – an activity my family and I have done a lot of this week.  Check out The Pack website here, and check out the promo video below:

“Welcome to the Pack” by Merrell (click to play):

2) As for my family’s outdoor activity: it’s been a week of hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing, running (a little bit), paddleboarding, and generally playing around in the great outdoors – and pretty much everyone in my family has been doing it in Merrell shoes.  My wife and son brought a single pair of shoes each: Trail Gloves for my son, and Pace Gloves for my wife.  One of my daughters is using the Dash Gloves, and the other is wearing the Hylidae sandals reviewed above.  (Since I’m the resident shoe diva, I brought multiple pairs to use.)

L to R: Pace Gloves, Trail Gloves, Hylidae sandals, Dash Gloves

The point here is that everybody’s shoes have proven remarkably versatile in wet and dry conditions, and extremely durable, especially considering that in some cases the shoes in question are more than one year old.  I’m often asked about what single shoe I’d recommend if you can only buy one pair – and if you have a wide variety of outdoor activities on tap, it’s hard to do better than Merrells.

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Soft Star Clearance Sale; Vibram Spyridon LS Now Available; Principles of Natural Running Video

A few odds and ends for your enjoyment while I busily put the finishing touches on a Rollerblade review ...

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In case you missed it, be sure to check out my Merrell Barefoot Dash Glove review and enter for your chance to win a free pair courtesy of Merrell.  The winner will be announced Saturday night.

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Also,the Vibram FiveFingers Spyridon LS shoes I reviewed last week are now available at TravelCountry.com, one of my affiliate vendors. Do I have to give the spiel about affiliate sales again? Click here to order your pair and support the Running and Rambling cause.

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Another cool sale alert: each spring Soft Star has a clearance on excess inventory of hand-made shoes they've accumulated over the course of the previous year. This year's sale officially started a few weeks ago, but the immediate traffic to their new website was so high that the server crashed - which for obvious reasons isn't the best way to kick off a sale.

At that time, Soft Star decided to shut down the sale page and re-launch this week - Thursday, March 8th at noon Pacific time, to be exact. To make up for the inconvenience, they've increased their already hefty discounts across the board; for the first week of the sale, everything is discounted at least 30%. (And they've reportedly been testing and retesting the website to prevent something similar this time around; we can only hope.)

The sale continues for four weeks, and longer it goes, the steeper the discounts get, with price adjustments every week - up to 70% off in the final days. The problem, of course, is that if you wait too long, the item you want might not be there any more. So go check out the sale on Thursday afternoon, and I'll post reminders every now and then as the sale prices improve.

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Finally, there's this: yesterday the Natural Running Center released a fantastic video on natural running biomechanics, featuring Dr Mark Cucuzzella, whom I've written about previously. He's probably the most magnificent barefoot runner I've ever seen, and his instructional video is probably as good an overview of barefoot/natural running form as anything I've seen.

It's chock full of takeaways, but one that stood out for me was observing how Dr Cucuzzella lands practically flat footed instead of prominently on his forefoot. This happens to be the exact same way I hit the ground (trust me, though - I don't look nearly as graceful), and from time to time I get a snarky comment or e-mail from a reader wondering how come I wear down the heels of my shoes so easily if I'm a true minimalist runner. I think I'll start referring those skeptics to this video, which clearly shows that there is indeed a consistent (albeit diminished) impact through the heel, even for the most proficient barefooters.

No matter how much experience you have with natural running, you'll almost certainly find something here to make you think differently about your form, which is bound to lead to noticeable improvement. I dare you to watch this and tell me you disagree.


"Principles of Natural Running" by Natural Running Center (click to play):





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Merrell Barefoot Dash Glove Review and Giveaway

Ladies, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that there’s probably at least one man in your life who doesn’t always get around to doing things when he says he will.

Maybe he tells you he’ll replace a light bulb, or fix the closet door, or get the laundry folded, and he sounds very sincere … until you look around a few days later and realize it’s still dark in the hallway, the closet is still broken, and the clothes are still sitting in the dryer. (Since you’re probably wondering, these are completely made-up scenarios. As far as you know.) And while you know you still love the guy, it sure would be nice if he could follow on things through a little bit sooner.

On that note, I’m happy to announce that I’m finally getting around to the female-specific giveaway I promised after my Merrell Barefoot Road Glove review in early January. Hopefully it’s not too late for us to still be happy together.

Merrell Barefoot Dash Glove

The prize this time around is Merrell’s brand new Dash Glove shoe, which is the female equivalent of this spring’s Road Glove for men. It’s also part of a concerted effort on Merrell’s part to get more women on board the minimalist bandwagon; in addition to a complete line of shoes, the company has also produced a dedicated women’s running page, a female-specific training guide, and a nifty little promotional video that’s embedded at the end of this post.

Before that, though, let’s roll through the review – and I need to start by saying that unlike other women’s models I’ve reviewed, this one wasn’t tested by my wife. Because advance samples were hard to come by, the shoes that arrived at our house ended up being a size small for her, so I did what any resourceful manager would do: I deputized another employee with some increased responsibility to step up to the task.

Pretty.  Strong.

That deputy would be my 10-year-old daughter, who is only one shoe size smaller than my wife, and who runs with me on a weekly basis around our neighborhood roads and trails. We limit our runs to 3 or 4 miles at a time, so she’s probably got about 50 cumulative miles on her pair – not as many as I prefer, but not bad for free child labor.

Pace Glove on left, Dash Glove on right

Just as the men’s Road Glove is Merrell’s asphalt counterpart to the last year’s Trail Glove, the women’s Dash Glove is the road equivalent of last year’s Pace Glove that was designed for off-road use. (I know, all these gloves get confusing sometimes.) In comparison to the Pace Glove, the upper and outsole of the Dash Glove are different, but the last and midsole platform are essentially the same. The Dash Glove is slightly heavier, weighing in at 5.8 oz compared with 4.7 for the Pace Glove.

The uppers are your standard-fare mesh and synthetic leather combination, closed enough to keep your toes warm in winter - my daughter often wears these without socks – and breathable enough to dry quickly when they get wet. However, with a DWR coating to repel mist or light rain, they shouldn’t get too soaked with ordinary use.

Women's Dash Glove on left, men's Road Glove on right

Keeping with the design of Merrell’s entire Barefoot line, the Dash Glove is intended to be worn sockless, and the interior uses the same microfiber footbed and soft, thin fabric interior to keep your foot comfortable in a wide variety of conditions.

In the midsole area, the Dash Glove has a total standing height of approximately 11mm, with compression molded EVA for a small measure of cushioning, and a completely flat platform with zero heel to toe drop. There’s no forefoot plate as last year’s Pace Glove featured …

… and it should go without saying that the entire shoe is completely flexible, allowing your foot to move any which way it pleases.

One area where the Dash Glove is unique among previous Merrell “gloves” is the outsole. It’s carved from the same Vibram TC1 Rubber that the other Barefoot models use, but the tread pattern is much shallower than the trail outsole. Maximum lug depth is 2mm, but they aren’t nearly as grippy as the men’s Road Glove released this spring.

I described the Road Glove as an ideal hybrid road/trail shoe, but with the Dash Glove I’m more cautious about recommending it for off-road use. Since the shoe is designed specifically for roads, that’s not necessarily a crime, but it would have been nice to see the same outsole on both the men’s and women’s offerings.

The Dash Glove retails for $110 from the Merrell website, but one reader will get a pair for free, compliments of Merrell. I’m doing a weighted entry system for this one; you get one entry for leaving a comment below this post, one additional entry for linking to this post from your blog, and a third by linking from Facebook or Twitter. In your comment below, let me know how many entries you’ve earned, and include the links for me to verify if necessary.

I also mentioned that there’s a video for you to watch after this post – and to incentivize you to watch it, I’ll give an additional entry to anyone who identifies the location of the video shoot. I know the answer, but I’m not going to confirm or deny any guesses in the comments – meaning that just because somebody names it before you doesn’t mean it’s necessarily correct. So you may as well take a guess.

Got all that? OK then. I’ll announce the winner this Saturday night, March 10. Good luck to everybody, and special thanks to Merrell for sponsoring this review and giveaway!

"Pretty Strong" by Merrell (click to play):



*Product provided by Merrell
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.



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Merrell Barefoot Gear Giveaway; The North Face Winter Sale; Random Shots of Beauty

Two brief items of interest before our regularly scheduled Random Shot of Beauty …

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I’m a little bit late with this announcement, but to help celebrate their new spring Barefoot line, Merrell is having a month’s worth of free giveaways throughout February. All you need to do is register a name and e-mail address and you’re entered in each day’s drawing of a barefoot gear gift pack, valued at $170. Head over to this Merrell page to enter, and good luck!

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I haven’t reviewed much apparel from The North Face, but their Apex ClimateBlock Jacket that I tested last year is still one of my favorite winter running garments. If you happen to be a big North Face fan and want to grab some discounted cold-weather items, Backcountry.com currently has their entire inventory of The North Face 2011 winter apparel on sale, in some cases up to 40% off. Check out the sale here or by clicking the banner below:

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On to this weekend’s Random Shot of Beauty, from another beautiful winter’s day in Monterey:

(click to enlarge)

Sailboats on the bay, as seen from Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove during an outing this afternoon with the kids on the coastal recreation trail. There was a fair amount of exercise involved for me, but it wasn’t running, hiking, biking, or even geocaching; I’ll explain more in an upcoming review post sometime.

Until then, whether you prefer powdery slopes or sunny seascapes, may your groundhog-mandated six more weeks of winter be enjoyable.



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Merrell Barefoot Road Glove Winner; RUEZ Underwear Winner; Random Shots of Beauty (and Mojo)

Before getting down to business this weekend, let me say this: my readers are awesome.

Not only did you provide an overwhelmingly favorable response to Merrell’s Road Glove review and giveaway contest, but when I enlisted your help to come up with an outlandish number of male euphemisms to help me prove a ridiculous point, you managed to surpass the number I threw out there (100) and completely crack me up in the process. The RUEZ contest had so much crazy momentum that the owner of the company actually logged in a couple of times to join the festivities.  Now that's a contest.

So hey, that was fun - we should do it again sometime. Maybe one of these days we can come up with a list of nicknames for women’s breasts. Until then, let’s get to the items at hand.

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First we’ll announce the winner the aforementioned RUEZ contest. 51 Feet Under, e-mail me your contact info – you’ve won a pair of boxers and briefs from RUEZ. In case you’re curious, the winning comment (randomly selected, of course) from 51 Feet Under was “tallywacker”. Have I mentioned how amusing that contest was?

Now for the grand prize for the week: a pair of Merrell Barefoot Road Gloves. Jeff Gallup – you’re the winner! E-mail me your contact info so I can pass it on to the Merrell rep. For everyone else, you’ve got another chance to win a pair of Road Gloves here on the Maple Grove Barefoot Guy’s website – but you may have to write a poem or something, so, you know … good luck with that.  I'll also post an update and sale link on this website when the shoe is officially available to the public.

Obviously, I owe a huge thanks to the companies who sponsored these contests, and another big thanks to everyone who entered. This was one of those weeks that makes it fun to be a blogger. The festivities will continue next week with more giveaways, so stay tuned. Until then, a couple more items to keep you occupied on this long weekend …

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… starting, of course, with our customary Random Shot of Beauty. Like our previous installment, this one comes from the Big Sur coastline:

A view looking north from a region called Garrapata, as seen during a family geocaching outing this morning on another delightfully warm January day in Monterey County.

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Also, since I’m finally starting to get a handle on my running plans for the year (separate post coming soon), here’s a bonus item I stumbled across that got my adrenaline pumping for some outdoor adventures in the weeks and months to come: a trailer for the upcoming Sheffield Adventure Film Festival.

There’s obviously no chance that I’ll make it to Sheffield to see any of these films, and I don’t even do the vast majority of the activities depicted here, but just knowing there are people out there doing things like this helps me get my own mojo cranked up an extra notch or two – which will definitely come in handy as I get into training mode again.

“Sheffield Adventure Film Festival Trailer 2012” (click to play):





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Merrell Barefoot Road Glove Review and Giveaway

In last month’s Gear of the Year post I mentioned that 2011 might be considered the year that Merrell caused a seismic shift in the footwear landscape with its outstanding Barefoot series of shoes.

Here was a major industry player embracing the minimalist movement, taking the lead in instruction and promotion of natural running technique, and creating several different varieties of shoes to choose from – with each one maintaining the company’s high standards of workmanship and performance. Two of their shoes ended up on my Keeper List – the Trail Glove as an all-purpose trail runner, and the Tough Glove as an everyday office / casual shoe – and their Kids Glove was a narrow second place to the VIVOBAREFOOT Neo.  (All of the previous links are my product reviews.)  All things considered, it was a pretty good rookie season.

Merrell Barefoot Road Glove

Noticeably absent from that initial lineup, however, was a dedicated road running shoe – but Merrell has now filled that void with the Road Glove. It’s not officially available for purchase yet, but one lucky reader of mine will get an opportunity to try them on very soon; that’s right, we’re doing a giveaway! You know the drill here, though: review first, then contest details. So let’s get to it.

Here are your vital specs on the Road Glove: it’s a zero-drop shoe with a 4mm midsole and a standing height of 10mm. It's completely flexible and allows full range of motion throughout the foot and ankle. Its weight hasn’t officially been verified from Merrell, but my size 11 model weighs slightly under 8oz, so I’m guessing that the official spec will be around 7.5 oz. [*UPDATED: per the Merell rep, the weight is 6.6 oz.  Perhaps I need a new scale.]  That last number is probably my biggest drawback about the shoe, as I’ll explain later.

Breathable mesh upper; rubberized toe bumper

From a design and construction standpoint, the top half of the Road Glove looks remarkably like last year’s Trail Glove. The uppers primarily consist of breatheable mesh with some synthetic overlays to aid in with lateral stability. There’s a thin rubber bumper at the front for a bit more protection from stubbed toes.

Seamless interior footbed

Like other Merrell Barefoot shoes, the Road Glove is designed to be worn without socks. Both the sockliner and the interior surface of the upper feel smooth against the skin, and the seamless footbed effectively keeps the foot in place while providing soft comfort as well.

The heel area is also similar to the Trail Glove, with a synthetic foot sling for stability and a thin collar that sits comfortably against the skin. In my testing, there is very minor “gapping” on the inside surface of the ankle, which is only a drawback if you do a lot of trail running in these (as I do – see photo further down).

Fit through the upper feels slightly wider to me than the Trail Gloves, which I found quite narrow in the midfoot region. I haven’t had any issues putting these shoes on, even on the infrequent occasions when I wore them with socks. The lacing system is also somewhat different, with a more traditional setup than the Omni-fit system on the Trail Glove. This could be bad news if you like to really customize your lacing, but not a big deal if you’re mainly a “lace ‘em up and go” person.

There appears to be a bit of confusion about the midsole of the Road Glove – specifically, whether or not it has a rock plate. The “place holder” product page on the Merrell website indicates there’s a forefoot plate, but I’ve seen other reviewers say there’s no plate.  I’ll clarify this with the rep and report back here.  [*UPDATED:  there's no plate.]  Otherwise, the 10mm standing height of the Road Glove is approximately 2mm lower than the Trail Glove, and ground feel is noticeably better than the Trail Glove, thanks also to a more streamlined outsole.

About that outsole: it may be designed for road running, but it’s more than adequate to take on the majority of trails you encounter as well. In fact, probably 75% of my mileage in testing these shoes was done on gravel fire roads and groomed trails, and I had very few problems with gripping the ground. Needless to say, there’s absolutely no problem gaining adequate traction on roads or all-weather track surfaces. The rubber compound is Vibram’s TC-1, the same material that’s used on the Trail Glove, which has proven remarkably resistant to wear after high mileage (probably 300-400 miles total) on my pair.

On the trail in Toro Park

Honestly, the outsole traction seems almost like overkill - which leads to my primary issue with the Road Glove: mainly, it’s a bit too much shoe. If my recorded weight is correct, it’s actually heavier than the Trail Glove, when road shoes are generally lighter and leaner than their off-road siblings. It’s worth noting that despite their extensive outdoor footwear credentials, Merrell has limited experience with making a dedicated road shoe. Consequently – and this could be just wild conjecture by me – they’ve made their first road running shoe by starting with a trail shoe and stripping it down, rather than making a running shoe from the ground up. In my opinion, when they stripped stuff away, they didn’t go nearly far enough: the outsole could be carved out more, the uppers could be thinner or lighter, and some of the support elements could be reduced or eliminated.

There’s a relevant comparison to be made to New Balance, another established company who has embraced minimalism over the past couple of years. Before making minimalist footwear, New Balance had a wealth of experience with racing flats and track spikes, and presumably had a good understanding of what parts of a shoe were essential and what others could be removed. Accordingly, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the New Balance Minimus Zero road shoes I’m currently testing are significantly lighter than Merrell’s Road Glove – but I’ll wait until that review goes live (probably in February) to give you details on that one.  [*UPDATED:  with the corrected weight, the discrepancy between New Balance and Merrell isn't exceedingly large.  New Balance is still lighter, though.]

So I’m not wild about the Road Glove as a dedicated road shoe; however, I think it’s an outstanding hybrid for runners who spend a lot of time on both paved and dirt surfaces.  If this review had posted before the end of last year, I would have included the Road Glove on my 2011 Keeper List as my favorite hybrid.  And if you don’t happen to be a shoe reviewer and have to actually pay money for your shoes, the Road Glove just might give you the most value for your buck when it comes to a “one style does all” training shoe. Wear them on the roads, take them on the trails, go off course to visit the cows … it doesn’t really matter what you do in these; the Road Gloves can probably take it.

Road Gloves and cows ... because why not?

Merrell’s Road Glove retails for $110, but is slightly discounted at Amazon.com. And now it’s time to get your lucky commenting hat on, because we’re doing a giveaway!

In conjunction with this review, Merrell has generously offered one pair of Road Gloves to a winner selected at random from the comments below. Keep in mind that this is a men’s model, so the ladies are entering for a boyfriend, spouse, or relative here – and if a girl wins this one, that dude had darn well better appreciate it.

Since this is a fairly substantial prize, my “major” contest rules are in effect: you’ll get one entry just for commenting and saying any fool thing you like. You’ll get an extra entry for linking to this post from your blog, and a third by linking from Facebook or Twitter. When you comment below, please let me know how many entries you’ve earned – up to three total – along with a link so I can verify if necessary. The winner will be announced this Saturday evening, January 14th.

Thanks very much to Merrell for sponsoring this giveaway, and good luck to everybody!

*Product provided by Merrell
**See other product reviews on sidebar at right. If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.



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The Keeper List: Running and Rambling Gear of the Year 2011

Before today’s post, an overdue announcement of sorts: over the holidays, I was pleased to see a small spike in sales of my running book. If you don’t recall my book, I can’t really fault you, because I do a lousy job of actually promoting or marketing the thing.

Each time a sale came in this month, I thought to myself, you know, I should announce some sort of reminder on the website about this – the book might make a good Christmas gift. And then in typical slacker fashion, I kept postponing or forgetting about doing so, until Christmas came and went and I completely missed the holiday shopping wave.

But since we still have a decent supply of books available, and since New Year’s is about doing the stuff you want to do rather than worrying about pleasing everybody else, I may as well mention it again here: Hey, I have a book for sale! It’s mainly geared toward novices and anyone who wants insight into life as a runner, but in my humble opinion there’s stuff that anybody will enjoy. And if you order from our website – where it’s less expensive than Amazon.com for some reason – we can autograph it or do any other special requests you’d like.

With that, I’ll stop the pandering – but today’s post is all about grabbing some additional stuff to make your running life more enjoyable.

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It won’t particularly come as a news flash to anyone when I say that I get a lot of gear to review. What might surprise some newer readers is that I review even more stuff than you see here on this website.

Most of my shoe reviews end up here, as minimalism has become a nice little niche I’ve settled into, but I also contribute to other websites and magazines after testing apparel or other trail running gear. The biggest portion of this extracurricular product testing goes to FeedTheHabit.com, with whom I’ve partnered for more than two years now.

I recognize that I’m in an enviable situation, so I pay my good fortune forward as often as possible by giving almost everything away. Running partners, family, and non-running friends have all been the recipients of gear from top (headlamps, hats) to bottom (socks, shoes) and everything in between (clothes, food, watches). They get free stuff, my wife gets her closet space back, and I feel good about sharing the wealth; it’s a winner for everyone involved.

Here’s my caveat, though: if there’s a piece of gear that I love, or one that I get a ton of great use out of, I keep it for myself. Accordingly, my Gear of the Year review should rightfully be called the Keeper List, because it’s all about the stuff that’s too awesome for me to give away.

However, my Keeper List differs from other annual ratings in one important way: the best gear isn’t necessarily from 2011. Rather, my list is a Jeopardy-style competition where the only way to become champion is to defeat the current champ. (Completely tangentially, it’s the same way I choose my wines.) Sure, the newer stuff will tend to be better – but if I have a Ken Jennings-like piece of equipment that crushes all potential challengers year after year, there’s no reason to take it off my Keeper List. And yes, there are a couple of those items included below.

Finally, before we proceed, a note on formatting: The first link of each entry will go to my original review of the product, and the second will go to a purchase link from Amazon.com or one of my other affiliate partners. Remember, affiliate sales support Running and Rambling, so, you know … help me help you, and all that. Now let’s get to the list; these are my keepers for 2011.


Part 1: Gear and Apparel

Headlamp for roads: Black Diamond Sprinter. A 68 lumen headlamp in front with a blinking red LED in back for an unbeatable combination of visibility and safety. The entire lamp weighs a mere 3.5 oz, and the lamps are completely rechargeable. Black Diamond is updating this product for 2012 (yes, I’ll have a review), but until then you can get the current version for $64 at Amazon.com – it’s the best investment you can make in your safety this winter.

Compact headlamp: Petzl Tikka XP2 with CORE rechargeable battery pack. There’s nothing better than a headlamp that’s bright enough to light the trail before dawn, and small enough to tuck in a pocket afterward. This category has stiff competition, most notably from Black Diamond’s Spot, which is a little bit brighter. However, what tips the scales for me is the rechargeable capacity of the XP2 with the CORE pack: it’s eco-friendly, easy to recharge, and saves a ton of money in the long run. The headlamp sells for $41 from Amazon.com, and the CORE pack sells separately for $39.

Headlamp for ultras: Black Diamond Icon with rechargeable NRG battery pack. I don’t think twice about it anymore: if I’m running through the night, the Icon is on my head. It’s relatively lightweight (6.6 oz), super bright (100 lumens), with enough battery life to burn high all the way to morning. Best of all, if you purchase an NRG battery pack, it’s completely rechargeable – and just to remind you, I love being green. Black Diamond is also updating this lamp next year, and I’m very curious to see if or how they can improve it. The current Icon is discounted to $55 from Amazon.com, and the NRG pack sells separately for $25.

Nightlife at Western States 2011: Black Diamond Icon, Nathan Endurance vest, and one very fast ultrarunner (hint: not me)

Jacket: Patagonia Nine Trails. You’ll see this name again further down the list as well; basically, 2011 was the year that Patagonia became my go-to ultrarunning brand. I wore the Nine Trails jacket at three ultras and during countless training miles last winter and spring; for lightweight weather-resistant insulation, there’s nothing better. Unfortunately, it’s not currently available on the Patagonia website, but TravelCountry.com has a closeout price of $60 on remaining stock.

Shorts: Patagonia Nine Trails. Are you sensing a theme yet? My first ultra in the Nine Trails shorts was the Miwok 100K in May, and I never looked back. Anytime I’m running for more than 4 hours, these are the shorts I’m wearing. Like the jacket, the shorts aren’t currently available from the company, but TravelCountry.com has a few pairs in size small available for $60.

Shirt: Patagonia Capilene Silkweight. I never reviewed this shirt, but here’s a true story: Back in the spring, when Soft Star offered to put their logo on any shirt I wanted to use for my upcoming ultra calendar, I told them to buy this Patagonia shirt. I have a couple other capilene shirts from past races; they’re not only the most comfortable items in my collection, but they’re remarkably durable after multiple runs and washings. So my official Team Soft Star kit this year featured Patagonia shorts, shirt, and jacket – a nearly clean sweep in the apparel department (the only exception was my socks). The shirt is available for $39 from the Patagonia website – and if you’d like your own Soft Star logo on it, I’m sure the Elves would be happy to oblige.

At the Tahoe Rim Trail 100: Patagonia shirt and shorts, Ultimate Direction Uno waist pack 

Gloves: Sugoi Firewall LT. Sorry, no review link on this one either: I did a glove comparison for Ultrarunning magazine this fall, and these ended up being my favorite from the bunch. It’s a nice upgrade from the previous Firewall gloves, with similar water resistance and slightly better insulation. $35 from Amazon.com.

Small hydration pack: Ultimate Direction Uno. I’ve had my current model for years – and before that, I used an older version for several years as well. It fits me well, I like the upright bottle position, and the separate pockets give surprisingly ample storage for such a small pack. I use it anytime I’m running between 90 minutes to 3 hours. $17 from Amazon.com.

Large hydration pack: Nathan HPL 020. How awesome is the 020? Not even Nathan can beat it. This year they released the Endurance, a similarly-designed and very strong vest that I wore while pacing at Western States (see WS photo above, and see my Endurance vest review here) – but when it comes to selecting one pack as my gold standard, I still prefer the 020. And when you consider that they’re available at the extreme discount price of $53 at Amazon.com, there’s no reason this vest shouldn’t be in every ultrarunner’s gear closet.

Break time in Zion National Park with the HPL 020

Tights: Salomon Trail III. Full disclosure: I don’t wear a lot of tights - fortunately in California, I don’t have to. So my list of contenders in this category isn’t huge, but these tights have been the most comfortable of those I’ve tried over last winter and this fall. Available for $69 at Amazon.com.

GPS: Soleus GPS 1.0. This review just posted a couple of weeks ago, so I don’t need to rehash things here, other than to say that I’m a big fan. It’s basic, high-quality, and extremely affordable at $87 from Amazon.com.

Socks: Drymax. This is the true Ken Jennings of the group: I’ve probably tested a dozen other brands over the past few years, and none compare to Drymax. I wear their lite trail model ($12 from Amazon.com) for training, and the max protection model ($31 from Amazon.com) for ultras. The Drymax reign continues.

After 50 rainy, muddy miles at Woodside in Soft Star RunAmocs and Drymax max protection socks 

Part 2: Footwear

As you might expect, my shoe list can be broken down into several categories – in this case, I went by primary use, starting with …

Minimalist road shoe: Vibram FiveFingers Bikila LS. Vibram came up huge this year with the advent of their LS models – laced versions of popular models that made the footwear easier to use and more accessible to a larger variety of people. From its inception, I’ve labeled the Bikila my gold standard for minimalist road running shoes, so you can imagine how impressed I was when the company managed to improve it this year without sacrificing anything that made it awesome in the first place. Right now they’re discounted to $70 at TravelCountry.com, so grab ‘em while you can.

At play in the Salinas Valley in Bikila LS

Minimalist all-purpose athletic shoe: Vibram FiveFingers KomodoSport LS. I’ve worn mine for running, basketball, tennis, floor workouts, and just plain goofing around. They’re getting very popular with CrossFit and Paleo workout enthusiasts as well. If you have multiple activities to do and only enough money for a single pair of Vibrams, this is the one. They’re currently discounted to $80 at TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist trail running: Merrell Barefoot Trail Glove. 2011 may well be remembered as the year Merrell triggered a seismic shift on the minimalist landscape with its Barefoot line of footwear. In my review I called this shoe minimalism for the masses, and since then I’ve recommended it to a lot of trail runners. They retail for $110 from TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist hybrid trail/road running: Altra Adam. They’re not the ultimate trail shoe, or the ultimate road shoe, but they’re a pretty solid combination of the two. They normally retail for $100 on the company website, but if you use this link you’ll get them for a 10% discount.

Minimalist hiking: Vibram FiveFingers Trek LS. My first-generation Treks had defeated all challengers as my favorite hiking shoes until Vibram topped itself with the Trek LS. Rugged leather, durable outsole, crazy comfort. They’re also nice enough to pass as dress shoes if you so choose (but I don’t – see below). They’re currently discounted to $112 from TravelCountry.com.

Rock scrambling at Lava Beds National Monument in Trek LS

Minimalist dress shoe: Merrell Barefoot Tough Glove. This shoe took out one former champion (the VIVOBAREFOOT Oak) in my collection, and has been an almost-everyday shoe since April. It looks sharp, it’s super comfortable, and it’s got all the right mechanics. It retails for $120 from TravelCountry.com.

Minimalist kids shoe: VIVOBAREFOOT Neo Kids. I was lucky enough to have several brands of shoes for my children to test, and the Neo Kids emerged victorious. Their minimalist construction is unbeatable, and the styling is ideal for kids to use like good old-fashioned sneakers. They retail for $75 from the VIVOBAREFOOT website.

Transitional trail shoe: New Balance Minimus Trail. Yes, it’s odd that the shoe with the most minimal-sounding name is actually the least minimal of the group mentioned here, but there’s no question that New Balance means business when it comes to cruising light and low to the ground. The Trail version of this shoe (also called the MT10) has a slipper-like feel, lightweight flexibile construction, and rugged traction underfoot. Its principal drawback to pure minimalists – the 4mm heel to toe drop – is precisely what makes it ideal for transitioning from a structured, supportive shoe to the minimalist end of the spectrum. The 2012 version will have a flat platform, but in the meantime you can get the 2011 Minimus for $100 from TravelCountry.com.

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Do you have enough items for your shopping list yet? I’m already waist-deep in reviews for 2012, which I’ll collectively preview sometime next week. There are some very strong offerings from most of the heavy hitters mentioned here; it will be interesting to see if any new products wrestle the title of “keepers” away from the current roster. Time (and miles) will tell, I suppose – so let’s meet back here again next year and I’ll let you know for sure.



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