Customer Reviews Merrell Bare Access Arc 2

These shoes are a mini miracle! I'm fit at 59 yet not a runner. I bought them for 10 days of walking on cobblestones, and climbing up and down hills and uneven stairs -- in sweaty weather. I was concerned there may not be enough padding or support, but my feet were protected, supported and cradled just exactly enough. They are so lightweight it was like being barefoot -- no leaden feet at the end of longgggg days of exploring. I was glad these are lace-ups, since my feet were swollen for a couple of days from the long flight. They are completely breathable, and my feet never felt hot and my no-show socks never felt soggy. And they are so cute! The fit is the classic Merrell fit that makes me say, "Oh, someone made these just for me!" Bottom line, I cannot help myself from raving about these to everyone I know. Thank you, Zappos, for bearing with me as I ordered, returned, ordered, returned until I found these. And thank you, Merrell, for making these fabulous, fun shoes.

I usually wear an 8 1/2 but ordered a 9 in these for exercise. When I tried them on for a jazzercise class I thought they would be too big. I used them in class and with the exercise induced foot swelling, they were perfect! There's enough arch support and the toe box is fabulous, if such a thing can be so! There is alot of room and bend in the toes, which makes this a great aerobic dance shoe. And it's cute.Much cuter than the photo. Love it, my new fav

Wow. This is the most comfortable sneaker I have ever worn with no breaking in time. I feel the shoe is true to size in length. The width is just slightly wider than normal, but that is ok with me! I find it VERY comfortable! It has significant arch support also. The zero drop design also seems to alleviate back pain due to a compressed disk. All in all I am thrilled with this shoe!

Great shoes - I like them so much I bought a second pair! Very comfortable with or without socks, lightweight with good support, and they're machine washable. Love the color, too.

These shoes are excellent! The best every day shoes I have ever worn. They are great for walking or running. Enjoy.

So comfy, lots of room for the dratted bunion, good arch support. Comfortable right out of the box and super cute...cuter than the photo and I'm an 11!

Love, love these shoes. I have a pair of the older Barefoot gloves which I had so much trouble prying on my foot each time even with a thin sock. These go on so easily and as others have mentioned have so much more room in to toe box. I used the barefoot type shoes not for running but for weight/kettle bell training and even more as a regular pair of shoes to wear around. They are lightweight, comfortable and do not hurt my feet. They have just enough arch support to be able to wear a longer period of time. I have the lighter grey color which was not the best choice for walking on a dusty track but I will probably but another pair because they are that good and I would also like a darker color. I have been looking a long time for good athletic shoes that are not funky looking like some of the minimal shoes can be. The Nikes and old Merrell Gloves have been shoved to the back of the closet. The only thing I am worried about is maybe wearing them out too fast because I wear them so much. One other note my daughter got a pair of Brooks Pure Connects that were on sale and she loved them until they completely started falling apart on the front toe of both shoes. We were very disappointed after spending so much money on them even on sale but will now get her a pair of these!

I ordered these for the color, but kept them for the comfort. I use them for classes at the gym, treadmill running and some street running. Ordered my normal size!

I've been a minimalist runner for close to 3 years. I've only switched to Merrell's within the last 6 months and can't be any more pleased. I have the pace glove but needed something for distances longer than 3-4 miles. This shoe is perfect for someone who is a minimalist runner that needs support for those longer distances. Nikes lost my devotion a long time ago by being too focused on looks than functionality. This shoe is cute and feels amazing! Zappos shipping is also, always, the best!

I have tried so many shoes and no other tennis shoes seems to compare to this shoe. I have wide feet and my feet are comfortable all day. I am a nurse on my feet for 12 hours shifts and my feet do not hurt after I get home. Love them!

The most comfortable shoes! I actually sighed when I slipped these on. The toe box is spacious without being too roomy and the instep area supports the arch of the foot very well. They work well at the gym and even look nice with jeans.

First impressions: Wow, what a comfortable shoe! My foot measures an 8.5C, but the 9B is working fine for me. When I first wore them, though, these squeaked more than any shoe I've ever heard! But, after half an hour wearing them around the house on wood floors and carpeting, the squeaking stopped. I'll report back if it starts again. They are quite bright in color, but they do exactly what I wanted, which is provide the comfort of a Merrell "barefoot" shoe but with some cushioning in the soil (and really great arch support for me - I don't want too much, this is just perfect.)

I love these shoes. Wore them on vacation and they are so light and comfortable. Make my feet look a lot smaller than they are too. I'm so happy with my purchase!

Great minimal running shoes which are also cute and great just for casual wear. I wear size 11 and they don't make my feet look huge like many running shoes do so that is a big plus. I tend to wear these more for casual wear because I like the more flexible Merrell's better for running (lithe glove, pace glove, vapor glove). These would be great for longer distance road runs though like 30K or marathon. Be careful running in these if you aren't used to minimal running shoes, it takes a lot more leg strength to run in these compared to normal cushioned running shoes but once you get over the learning curve it is much better for your joints.

These are great everyday shoes! I ordered my normal size (9.5) and they fit fine. The shoes are lightweight, extremely comfortable, the laces stay tied all day long and the slightly wider toe box allows my toes enough room so they don't feel cramped. I'm very pleased and would recommend them to anyone needing an attractive, yet comfortable, everyday, get-around kind of shoe.

These shoes are what they say they are: minimalist, yet comfortable. Being used to thick soles of running shoes past, these do feel different, but in a good way. The wide toe box is awesome. They feel good. They look good. A great buy.

I absolutely LOVE these shoes! I originally purchased them for running on the gravel roads around our house, but now wear them everywhere. They have great arch support as I have flat feet. I no longer feel like my arches are falling in when I run. They grip the gravel much better than other trail shoes I have tried. I also like that if I tie them a little tighter, they feel as if they support my arches better. It is just an added bonus that they are really cute! I am going to order in another color!

This shoe is very comfortable, light weight,and cool. It looks good on the food as well. I liked it so well that I ordered another pair in a different color.

I bought these shoes to wear as a casual comfort shoe with jeans and capris, etc, not as a workout shoe. I absolutely love them! They are adorable - I get compliments every time I wear them. They are comfortable, which I expected. I am used to wearing minimalist athletic shoes, but I still prefer to run and workout in Inov-8 shoes. These shoes do run small (as in short, not narrow). You may want to consider ordering a half size up. The toe box is nice and wide though. The green/aqua color is fun, fun, fun!

First off these are a beautiful blue! The shoes are comfortable but they are taking more time than I expected to get used to running in them. The first workout I did in them was a 2 mile interval work out on the treadmill and my calves cramped like crazy! The more I get used to them though the better! My favorite part is actually the wide toe space.

This is my favorite minimalist shoe for longer distances (15 miles and up) or nontechnical trails. This second generation is a huge improvement over the original Bare Access Arc (which I liked for running, but not so much how it looked). This is my second pair of BAA2, bought at the last minute for a marathon because I wanted a black shoe. The great thing about Merrell's minimalist running shoes is that they really don't require a break-in period. I've worn them straight out of the box into races with zero problems. These have a nice roomy toebox and just enough cushioning to make my feet happy as the miles pile up. Big thanks to Zappos for saving the day with its usual amazingly fast shipping!

So cute, so comfy! Just perfect. After trying several barefoot "sneakers" these are absolutely the best...and they make my feet look small!

My husband, who hates shoes, has a pair of these and loves these. The reviews were so stellar that I got a pair as well. I'm not as bowled over by them, but they are fine. Some have commented on lack of arch support, but I have low arches and I found these to actually dig in a little bit, but I got used to it. I haven't worn this outside the house yet, just for workouts on the elliptical and other cardio/strength training. They are great for these, so far, and I love how light they are. I also love the color.

Absolutely adorably cute, barely an 11 (left foot a little short, but workable), a little wide throughout and in the heels for me. Despite that, I would have kept them if it were not for the fact that there is no give in the middle of the shoe, and I'm looking for a minimalist shoe that's bendy in the middle, across the the longitudinal arch. These have pretty built-up arch supports as well. Alas, they go back.