Review: Merrell Pace Glove

Less is more. When it comes to running, many runners are pursuing the minimalistic approach. Minimalist runners opt for the least amount of shoe they can safely run, working towards strengthening their feet and improving running gait in order to tolerate less shoe. The Running Times website has a great article on the movement. Enter the Merrell Pace Glove. After running two marathons and four half marathons, I was constantly searching for the perfect running shoe that protects my legs and joints. But, what about my feet? Well, it seems they are weak; too many miles, too soon. So, while my legs got stronger, my feet remained the same because I failed to strengthen them. Consequently, I’m going backwards, rebuilding my mileage and my feet. The Merrell Pace Glove simply allows my feet to work while protecting them from the terrain. The 0 mm heel drop encourages me to practice mid-foot strike and proper running form. I’m not ready to go completely naked (barefoot) nor do I aspire to, but I want the most natural feel.

The sole is a Vibram® Trail Glove Sole which can be used on a variety of surfaces. And, the Merrell Pace Gloves are made with a breathable, mesh material which is perfect for the gym or warmer temperatures, but not made to worn in cold, wet climates. My favorite feature besides the ultra-lightweight feel is the fact that I don’t have to wear socks! The Merrell Pace Glove is finished with Aegis™ antimicrobial which maintains a healthy foot environment and allows me to throw the shoes into the washer to clean. Easy maintenance!

My Merrell Pace Glove shoes are used for a multitude of purposes including teaching fitness classes, strength training, walking my dog, Cooper, and for lower mileage runs. Once I build up more foot strength, I plan to use them for high mileages. Clearly, my Merrell Pace Glove shoes will get plenty of miles!

Merrell Hiking Boots and Shoes

We are fortunate in the Pacific Northwest in a lot of ways. One of the big ones is that the weather is rarely severe enough that you have to change your plans. A change in weather usually just means changing your jacket and wearing different shoes, and then it’s off to soccer practice, shopping in town, or a nice hike along one of the hundreds of trails nearby. If there is any trick at all to living around here, it’s finding the right shoes. Thankfully, Merrell is ready for just about anything. Merrell hiking shoes have been the footwear of choice for outdoorsy types for more than three decades, and Backpacker Magazine has called their leather hiking boots “the best in the world.” They are sold in a dozen different countries and worn for adventures around the world. Now, before you start wondering if you really need world-class footwear if all you want to do is go pick blueberries, let me introduce you to a couple of our favorite low-key, high performance Merrell styles. The women’s Merrell Siren Sport is a versatile, lightweight hiking shoe that provides all-day comfort and support. It has Merrell’s Q-Form EVA foot frame for a custom fit, and its full grain leather upper is designed with breathable mesh panels to keep your feet cool and comfortable on the trail. They also come in about a dozen different colors, so you can match your shoes to the rest of your adventure outfit.

Wearing the men’s Merrell Chameleon4 Ventilator hiking shoes is a bit like running around in a luxury SUV. They are comfortable and supportive, make it easy to scramble over difficult terrain, and have excellent climate control capabilities. They just don’t cost nearly as much, and I guess technically they are a one-passenger ride…let’s just agree that they are great men’s hiking shoes. Plus, they really look more like a sports car than an SUV.

If you are familiar with Merrell at all, you already know they have a huge variety of hiking boots and hiking shoes. They know the outdoors like couch potatoes know their remotes, and they have the shoes you need to get out there—even if “out there” is mostly just taking the kids to soccer practice.\

Get Moving: Office Walking Clubs

[Pictured: Walk Club members Lora, Kendra, Lee, Vanessa and Stephanie. Just before their half-marathon and Vanessa’s full marathon.] Join the club! If you’re looking for an opportunity to make some new friends in the office, a walk/run club is a great way to meet people around the cubicles—and get healthy in the process. If there’s already some kind of walk/run club established at your workplace, we strongly encourage you to get a great pair of walking shoes and join the club. They always welcome new members. If your workplace doesn’t already have a walk/run club, it’s easy to start one; you could even say it’s a walk in the park—ha! Start by spreading the word that you plan to form a club and you’ll be surprised how many people will want to get involved. All you need is a few committed people to start. Here at OnlineShoes.com, a few employees started their own walking club and it’s been a big success. It was originally formed in the winter when getting outside in the drizzly cold and grey of Seattle seemed too much to bear alone. The experience warmed their insides as much as their outsides and the group happily grew and has continued to meet even as the weather got better. Once a week, the walking club here uses their lunch hour to get out and explore the streets and parks in and around Seattle. It’s a great way to get out of the office, get a little exercise and get to know each other better. If one of the goals of your walking club is improved health and fitness, it’s important to establish the right pace for your club. A slightly faster than normal pace is usually a good starting point, but you should still be able to carry on a conversation while you walk. One of the great things about establishing a club is the built-in motivation; you are more likely to actually get out and do it if there are others expecting you to be there. A second consideration of your walk/run club should be your route. Start on a familiar route with a specific goal or turnaround point, and then change it up now and then for variety. Just make sure to keep everyone informed. If your club is anything like the one at OnlineShoes.com, you’ll find it quickly becomes part of your weekly routine and something you’ll wish you had done sooner. Of course, when you go on your walks with the club, you’ve got to make sure you’re wearing the right shoes. Luckily, we have an enormous selection of walking shoes. So, whether you are looking for all-weather walking shoes to take you through the wetter seasons or athletic walking shoes so you can really pick up the pace, we have the perfect pair to get you and your walk club moving.

Midday Madness Champion: Chaco!

We have a winner! Actually, we have two:

* Chaco wins the 2012 Grand Brand Championship *

* gmathew85 wins a FREE PAIR of CHACOS *

It was an absolutely epic challenge for the Midday Madness championship. We had two world-class brands locked in a four-hour battle. Chaco came out early, and then Rockport poured it on strong. Chaco replied with a surge of votes, and Rockport rallied in kind. It went back and forth for four solid hours with the brands calling in fresh recruits from Facebook and Twitter. At the final buzzer, we had a champion to be sure, but historians will always wonder “What if..” What if it was a little colder outside; would UGG Australia have advanced to the finals? What if Dr. Martens fans from across the pond chimed in; would there have been a second British invasion? What if Brooks hadn’t been edged out at the wire…well, we could go on and on. Let’s not, though. 2012 was a great year for some brands, and a building year for others. In the end, we all love the (many) brands we love, dream of the shoes we’ll get next, and will go back to shopping with one thought in our heads:

“We’ll get ‘em next year.”

Thank you all for participating in Midday Madness. Please feel free to leave a comment with ideas for next year and how we can make it bigger and better than ever. Gmathew85, we will be contacting you shortly using the email you provided, so you might as well start shopping for your new Chaco shoes (or boots) right now.