Goodbye old Vapor Glove 6 LTR and hello new Vapor Glove 6 LTR – why change the shoe if it fits you?
5/4/2025
Translation: Elicia Payne
I’ve been walking and running exclusively in barefoot shoes for a few years now. My favourite model for trail running is the Vapor Glove 6 LTR. However, mine are on their last legs, which is why I’m buying them again.
In 2010, when I turned up to running training with Fivefingers, my mate laughed at me. I admit, even today, my eyes need a moment to adjust to them. But, when it comes to running, they’ve converted me from a heel striker to a forefoot striker.
After foot surgery in 2022, I became a barefoot shoe wearer in everyday life and now I walk forefoot too. It was Merrell’s Vapor Glove 6 LTR – the last bit stands for «leather» – that helped me make the transition. And I recently rediscovered my love of running with them. Here are five things I love about the shoes.
Wide, but not too wide toe box provides super stability
As is usual for barefoot shoes, the Vapor Glove 6 LTR offers plenty of room for the toes, albeit less than other models. They’re too tight for everyday wear now, but I think the slightly narrower toe box is great for running because they don’t rub against the inner material as much.
This also helps my stability in a lot of ways. Thanks to the inner material and good lacing, it fits me like a glove, so my foot doesn’t move in the shoe. Plus, the shoe’s still wide enough for me to «grip» the ground with my toes.
Excellent feedback thanks to thin sole
When running with heavily cushioned shoes, I can hardly feel what I’m running on. But I want to feel what I’m putting my feet on. Not to feel connected to the ground in a spiritual way, but for my own safety. The only way I can adjust my entire musculoskeletal system is through direct feedback from every stone, no matter how small. Since I’ve been running in barefoot shoes, I hardly ever roll my ankle, so I’m less prone to injury.
Of course, with a total thickness of just 6 millimetres – 2 millimetres each on the inner and outer sole and tread – the sole of the Vapor Glove 6 LTR is super thin – especially for trail running. I can really feel every single little stone and sometimes the odd sharp obstacle. But it also heightens my awareness of how I run and makes me pay even more attention to my surroundings.
Great grip – especially on trails
For the outsole, Merrell works with Vibram, the company behind the Fivefingers shoe mentioned earlier. The rubber sole offers excellent grip on almost all surfaces. Due to the profile, however, the shoe can be slippery on wet surfaces.
The Vapor Glove 6 LTR isn’t made for the road, but for the trail. This is where the multi-directional profile shows what it’s capable of. No matter which direction I move when I’m on trails, I always get the impression of having a firm grip. The profile has a tight mesh form, eliminating empty spaces between individual elements. But it’s also flexible enough that no dirt or stones get stuck in between.
Light as a feather
One shoe weighs just 180 grammes. This makes it around 16 per cent lighter than the Mesa Trail II, which my colleague Siri tested. What’s more, the Vapor Glove 6 LTR is breathable despite its leather exterior. I hardly sweat in them, even on hot summer days. And when it rains, my feet stay dry, regardless of the duration of the run. In short, I forget that I’m wearing shoes at all and that’s the whole point of barefoot shoes.
Damn persistent
I’ve now worn the Vapor Glove 6 LTR intensively for over two and a half years. In the first year, I was just wearing them for everyday tasks. Then I ran an estimated 400 kilometres of trails in them. I can see that the leather’s been used, but it’s still in relatively good condition. And nothing’s coming apart either. Just the tread has worn through, so I’m slipping more. Considering how long I’ve used them, it’s understandable.
Long story short: the Vapor Glove 6 fitted me perfectly in 2022 and still does today. That’s why I’m buying the same model again.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
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