Review on Ultimate Performance: Merrell Men's Access Trail Runner - Unleash Your True Potential! by Nelson Calafell

I have three pairs of these shoes and I LOVE them. I have a hard time finding hiking shoes (or shoes for that matter) that fit me. I have broken my right ankle twice and sprained it countless times and this ankle is very unstable despite a lot of physical therapy. My biggest concern and challenge when buying hiking boots is the support for this ankle. I've tried 6 different shoes over the last few years: Brooks Pure Grit 3 and 4, Altra, one from Salomon, Merrill Trail Gloves and this Merrell Bare Access Flex. Let's start with the fact that others could not meet my needs. Almost all of these shoes have quite a bit of cushioning in the heel, and since my ankle is prone to lateral rotation, this soft cushion just makes it tip over. The Trail Gloves are great shoes too, and I've worn them on two Grand Canyon ridge-to-ridge hikes, but they have such minimal cushioning that I can feel every rock and stone on the trail. Not breaking the deal, but I wanted a little more protection. Now this wish has come true. These shoes are the perfect combination of good protection for my feet but not so soft that it aggravates my ankle instability. Super comfortable easy to wear. Light and cool, they feel like slippers. I wear them to work where I'm on my feet a lot (sometimes 6-8 hours a day) and can't wait to get to the Grand Canyon this spring. Buy half a size smaller than usual. My Trail Glives gloves are a size 9.5 and this size 9 shoe fits the same as the Trail Glives.