Toe Shoes, Barefoot or Minimalist Shoes, and Vibram FiveFingers Reviews, News, Forums | Birthday Shoes - Latest Comments on Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Seth [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Seth [Visitor] — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:11:59 +0000

Thanks for an honest review and for understanding that not everyone can go barefoot. I live in an industrial neighborhood in Chicago, and it would be downright dangerous to run with no shoes at all. I've found the bare access shoes to be a good balance of comfort, protection from the many shards of glass, rocks/gravel, nails/screws, and other random degree on the streets and sidewalks. I know I have to be more careful with my form, but the improvement over regular running shoes is good enough for me. These are a great pair of shoes for a city runner in my opinion.

Ivan [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Ivan [Visitor] — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:44:50 +0000

Nice review. I run barefoot (really barefoot) but liked the Merrell Trailglove for wet/cold weather runs. The soles of my feet just get torn up when the they get wet. Now I am getting into longer runs (10+ miles) and I do find that my soles just don't hold up when my weekly mileage goes up above 30. I also find that wearing the Trailgloves for the long runs actually causes me discomfort because my form just falls apart. Enter the Bare Access. I can keep my forefoot/midfoot strike. My feet feel good, and I can keep up my higher weekly mileage. Transition shoe? Maybe. But for me they may be a transition away from barefoot.

Richie [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Richie [Visitor] — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:36:26 +0000

I been wearing a pair of True Gloves almost daily to work for the last 6 months and absolutely love them. These were my first barefoot shoes. I havent been an avid runner over the last few years, but am about to get back into it. Only 5k-10k road running. So, I am looking at going with a barefoot running shoe. I have tried on both the Bare Access and the Trail Glove. Both feel good to my foot, each with a different feel. The Trail Glove fits like my True Gloves, and the Bare Access feels more like a "normal" running shoe. Any suggestions between these two for my scenario or should i look into the Road Gloves? I think i tried on some RGs awhile back and didnt care for them for some reason (cant remember why).

Jesse W. [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Jesse W. [Visitor] — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:20:31 +0000

In the Army, you gotta have socks and shoes, no 5 fingers allowed. No exception. That's okay, since we don't always have the best running surfaces when we deploy. Afghanistan consistently has triple digit heat, and wickedly cold winds in the winter. Rules aside, foot protection of some kind is important for anybody out here(even the dude from Dual Survival. Asphalt is HOT). Often, a lot of us run with weight, such as backpacks and/or body armor, which will usually add close to 50lbs. Bare accesses are the shoes I have been wearing, and I swear by them. No thorns, bits of metal, no cuts from hidden garbage buried in the moon dust. For some of us, the fact that they aren't 5 fingers (or birthdays, for that matter) is actually their most important feature. Maybe not great for purists, but when you have to have some kind of shoe, and need something that is good everywhere, that 10mm of foam is something special.

Katie S [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Katie S [Visitor] — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 02:22:46 +0000

Hi thanks for the great review. I've tried these shoes and they try on at the store great. I'm not a runner but a walker. I totally ascribe to the mInimalist doctrine. I love my feet!! But...I don't want to speed walk barefooted. I want a little shoe. Do you think these would be good shoes for speed walking? I was interested in a mInimalist shoe I can't find any that fit my wide foot. The Bare Acess feels awesome.
Thanks again

joshua [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

joshua [Visitor] — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 15:09:01 +0000

How thick are the rubber pods on the bottom? Im thinking about using them for parkour. Which I think they would shine at.

Stacy [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Stacy [Visitor] — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:23:14 +0000

I just bought a pair of these today, and so far I think I'll be happy with them.

I've been transitioning to minimalist/barefoot running for the past month or so by running barefoot on concrete sidewalks, building up from shorter distances.

Although I love running barefoot, I needed a shoe that I could wear on the gym treadmill. Any type of sandal, slip on or water shoe is forbidden.

My search was exhaustive but limited to shoes that I could try on in person. I tried VFF's but even with socks the back bit into the back of my heel so that I had a blister after less than a mile. This is a common blister spot for me with all shoes and if shoes irritate that spot there is NO breaking them in.

I wanted to love the Merrell Pace Glove, which are the very lightest ones. Unfortunately, they are VERY narrow and my feet are short and wide. Merrell's website does offer them in a wide size, but the Pace Glove also bit into the same spot in the back of my foot, due to the odd ridging in the back of the shoe.

The Bare Access fit more like a regular tennis shoe, and most importantly, they are different in the back and don't irritate that spot on the back of my heel. So while I would prefer less cushion and I'm not a fan of the arch "support" I trust that the zero drop will allow me to run at the gym without wrecking my form. I'll trade the above complaints for a shoe that doesn't make me want to cry after less than a mile because the back of my heel is so badly blistered.

Shanonn [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Shanonn [Visitor] — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 00:07:03 +0000

MFor the past 2 years I've been running exclusively in Vibrams. Until today. Today I did my longest run' to date-20 miles, in Merrell Bare Access. It was the first time I put them on. I've run up to 15 in Vibes, which have completely saved & resolved my knee issues. Problem was I'd get some pretty nasty pain in my foot pads after about 10 miles on pavement. I'm training for my first marathon & just felt like I needed a little something more between my feet & the road.
Enter the Bare Access. I actually didn't plan on running so far in them, but was doing a 5k first, was running late, & couldn't find my Vibes. So, in spite of knowing I shouldn't a long run in brand new shoes I'd never worn before, I.went for it.

These shoes are fantastic. Just enough rubber to the road to protect while allowing good ground feel. Plenty of room for splay in the toe box, even for a Vibram addict. I suggest going a 1/2 size up. No foot pad pain, no hotspots. I'm hooked.

Angi [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Angi [Visitor] — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:53:24 +0000

I just finished reading your article about the non-running couple who now lives in their VFFs. Like them, I am not a runner. As a matter of fact, I had three knee surgeries back in my early 20s (I'm 32 now). I haven't run since I was a very little girl. I got into barefoot style shoes because I was hoping that stronger feet would mean stronger knees and better posture and therefor less knee pain. On a side note, I live in a downtown area and do not own a car. I walk an average of 8 to 10 miles a week.

About a year ago I got my first VFFs. I got the Bakila LS. I found them to be great for outdoors in the summer but as soon as it dropped below 65 degrees my feet got too cold. I also had issues indoors in air conditioning (in the grocery store for example). Maybe my feet just run cold but either way I found it uncomfortable.

So next I bought a pair of New Balance Trails. I got the ones that are waterproof/water resistant. These proved to be great in the fall when it was rainy and damp. When combined with my Smartwools, my feet were warm and dry. However, I found the soles to be much too hard; particularly in the forefoot. I regularly ended up with bruising under the "knuckle" of my big toe, so I would end up wearing non barefoot shoes for a few days until the bruising healed.

Then comes my latest acquisition into my shoe line-up. (Here's where the story finally ties into your above post) I bought a pair of Altra Intuitions. I have had them a little over a week and they are so comfortable that I sometimes forget to take them off when I get home. That has never happened before. I have always wanted to rip my shoes off the minute I got in the door. Around the house I never wear anything more than socks. I have also been wearing them at the gym where I find that little bit of extra cushion over my VFFs to be appreciated.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that although shoes like the Altra Inuition or the Merrell Bare Access may not be good for transitioning to barefoot running they are crucial for those of us non-runners looking for footwear with zero drop, flexible soles, and wide toe boxes for everyday casual wear or exercise/fitness.

Vitor [Visitor] in response to: Merrell Barefoot Bare Access Review

Vitor [Visitor] — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 03:44:22 +0000

Zero drop is what matters to me, it's what allows the feet to have proper form. Arch support and heel elevation are what kills a shoe to me, cushion not so much.