Saturday, June 2, 2012

Trail Glove and Fivefingers

After I got my Vibram Fivefingers last year, I've been periodically running in them on short runs (< 3-5 mi), to get accustomed to them, particularly the calves. This past February, I got a pair of Merrell Trail Glove (replacing the well-worn Nike Free) and have been running in them since, including four races ranging from 5K to half marathon. It's been at least couple months now since my last run in the Fivefingers. This morning, I took them out for a quick run, and, to my pleasant surprise, they felt remarkably unremarkable--as if I've been running in them for the longest time. I'd thought the Trail Glove was the next step, after Nike Free but before Fivefingers, on my path towards minimal running. But, it seems the Trail Glove and Fivefingers are pretty much interchangeable, as far as the feel of the road is concerned. They do differ in their relative upper support and, of course, at the toe end.