Merrell Barefoot Shoe Can Cause Foot Injury

The title of a review of Merrell’s Women's Barefoot Run Pace Glove shoe on the product page reads, “Don’t run in these! They broke BOTH my heel bones!” After only seven days of running in these sneakers, one woman is suffering painful fractures in both of her heel bones. She is seeking legal counsel in response to these injuries.

Unfortunately, this runner is not alone. The woman’s orthopedic doctor told her he had three patients in one month with the same injury from these Merrell shoes. Although the Barefoot Run Pace Glove’s webpage claims that the sneakers have “…all the protection your feet need from rocks and roots,” the shoes are severely damaging women’s feet. A separate page by Merrell provides safe running instructions, but the company fails to adequately warn women when they purchase the shoes that they can’t run in a traditional manner without risking serious foot injury. Consumers may not know of these dangers until it’s too late, unless they somehow know to research on their own.

Why didn’t Merrell make more of an effort to stop these injuries from happening to women who buy the Barefoot Run Pace Glove? On average, the foot absorbs three to four times a person’s body weight while running, so a supportive shoe combined with proper running technique is vital to prevent serious injury. Bone pain is very serious pain, especially when it involves the feet. Women should not have to suffer problems that hinder them from doing what they bought the shoe for in the first place.