Merrell Ascend Glove GTX review

CavemanClarke has had the opportunity to try the new waterproof Ascend Glove GTX (Goretex version) trail running shoes from outdoor brand Merrell. In the past, Merrell has produced some fantastic trail running products, leading the way with trail blazing shoes such as the Merrell Trail gloves; an innovation in the minimalist and barefoot community, allowing the runner to tackle technical terrain with confidence whilst still being able to run naturally and feel the ground beneath their feet. The most recent and exciting addition to Merrell's trail running arsenal is the release of the Ascend Gloves. Available in a Gore-Tex and non-Gore-Tex version, they cater for a variety of weather conditions and requirements.

After already being incredibly impressed with the standard model, I was really excited to see the difference and versatility of the Gore-Tex version. To see my extensive review of the standard non-Gore-Tex Ascend glove follow this link: http://caveman-clarke.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/merrell-ascend-glove-review.html

So, in true CavemanClarke fashion, let me start you off with a close look at the Merrell Ascend Glove GTX:

Coming soon ..... Merrell Ascend Glove GTX review

CavemanClarke has kindly been sent a pair of Merrell Ascend Gloves with the new Goretex membrane, the GTX version. The last few weeks have been spent wearing and testing them through a variety of weathers and terrains to bring to you a conclusion about their worth in the minimalist world of running, and to compare them with the base model without the GTX membrane. 

Review coming very soon .....

Merrell Ascend Glove Review

Over the past few years reviewing shoes on CavemanClarke, I must admit that it is a very rare occurrence to come across a minimalist trail shoe that ticks all the right boxes and leaves me very impressed. Most of the time a shoe performs well in some areas or in specific conditions, but final conclusions leave me writing 'could have been better.....' or 'if only they had.....' and quite often 'i can see what they have tried to do but.....'. In the case of the Merrell Ascend Glove I am pleased to say straight away that this is certainly not the case for this shoe.

I have been using the non-GTX version for a few weeks now and the GTX version for the past week and I can say that these are fantastic minimal trail shoes. In this review I hope to point out the reasons why I have been so impressed with this shoe, focusing on the non-GTX version that I have had a few weeks now to put through their paces. Later this month I will be posting a comparison of the non-GTX vs the GTX versions of the Ascend Gloves.

So lets start with a few pictures to familiarise you with what the shoe looks like.

Reviews coming soon...

Coming very soon to CavemanClarke:
I am currently trialling and reviewing the Merrell Ascend Glove, Ascend Glove GTX and the Salomon S-Lab Fellcross 1. Reviews to follow very shortly when the weather has enabled a good all-round selection of running conditions.....