Customer Reviews Merrell Barefoot Bare Access

These provide the most arch support out of the running walking Merrell barefoots. Most the bottom is that foam and not rubber. They don't have the true barefoot feel like the trail or road gloves. Overall they are nice quality like Merrell shoes should be.

This shoe felt nice from the moment I put it on. It is light, breathes really well and can be used for a variety of activities. I use it more for an all purpose shoe for walking and gym workouts. I haven't tried running in them yet because I'm not a minimalist runner yet, still using regular running shoes. My only issue is that after only a few months the sole is already showing some mild separation in the toe. It might just be me though. I like the feel of these shoes and will likely buy another pair in the future.

These shoes are great. They feel so light you hardly know that you are wearing shoes. The soles are very pliable but also provide enough support. I tried wearing them without socks but they did not feel as comfortable as I had hoped. Overall, I am very pleased with these shoes.

I recently purchased these with the sole purpose of gym shoes. They are ultra light weight, snug fitting and give very little support in the heel; which is ideal for certain types of weight lifting (i.e. squat, deadlift, etc.). The heel has some firm padding, but not too much. The arch support feels very strange and took a very long time to get used to. This is my second pair of Merrells; like the other pair that I own, these had a break in period where they just flat out feel half to a whole size too narrow around the arch support to outer-arch support area. I normally wear a 15 or 16 depending on the brand. These have plenty of length at size 15 and are only still tight right around the middle of the foot. I have now worn these for almost two months about four times per week to the local park, jogging trails and to the gym. They are not showing any signs of wear yet and serve the purpose that I had bought them for.

I always buy 10.5 but these felt cramped in the toe and where the leather meets the mesh at the toe, it scraped the top of my toes uncomfortably.

These are very comfortable, and shockingly light in weight. They are also shockingly flimsy. I picked them up as casual alternatives to my Road Gloves and New Balance Minimus Trails. The soft, non-Vibram part of the sole literally started visibly chipping and wearing away (like styrofoam) in the front in less than 72 hours, after being worn perhaps a total of 12 hours (10 indoors). I also have a pair of Merrell Road Gloves, and those seem to be doing just fine. But these, while stylish and comfortable, are not worth even the shipping that you will not pay through Zappos. Another reviewer noted: "I have the smoke/red color combo and I will say that the red part of the sole is getting chewed up pretty quickly because it appears to be constructed from some sort of soft foam." He is not lying. They are comfortable, but the soft foam has no place on the exterior of performance shoes.

Bought this shoe believing it would provide the same barefoot experience as my Merrell Trail Gloves but with a bit more cushioning for long runs/hikes. The cushioning was there but I returned the shoes because of rubbing on the top of my feet at the point where the toe box meets the lacing. Too bad.

I recently made a purchase with Zappos for two pairs of running shoes. I knew that both pairs were a bit different and I wanted to switch between the two. After my second time wearing the "Merrell Barefoot Bare Access" they are already ripping away from the sole. As an avid runner and a frequent purchaser of top quality running shoes, it is very disappointing to see this quality of shoe being sold by Zappos. Not only is it financially disappointing to spend this much for a grand total of 12 miles ran, but it is extremely dangerous to be selling this type of quality to the runners community out there. Stay away from these shoes. (As a side note, the other pair I bought were the Brooks PureGrit and I love them so far.)

I was happy with these shoes until they started falling apart, only three months after I bought them. I do not consider myself a heavy runner--twenty-five miles per week, at the most. But now there is a huge crack in the sole and a hole forming under the toe area. I can't afford to buy a new pair of running shoes every three months, so I guess I will switch to another brand.