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

Buying outdoor shoes online has always been a bit of a problem for me as I'm somewhere between 11.5 and 12 and depending on the manufacturer I clearly am either one or the other. The great thing about Merrell shoes is that I always wear a size 11.5 and I love that consistency. It's the same with Brooks sneakers. I'm always 12. In this case, I liked the sneakers as soon as I put them on. If you have a high arch you will love these shoes as the arch is pronounced (like many Merrell street shoes) and they fit snugly at the heel and arch with a nice wide and comfortable toe box. I run on both pavement and trails and I'm passionate about my Brooks Adrenaline GTS shoes, but I like front impact shoes like the Bare Access for trails. I've tried the Bare Access Flex on both hard surfaces and trails and really didn't like it on tarmac. However, for the backwoods trails I run in Northwest Pennsylvania, I found these shoes amazing. Most of the trails I run are dirt mixed with dead leaf compost, which makes for a great soft trail surface. The flexibility of the Bare Access makes me feel like I'm walking barefoot and I love the minimalistic outsole. If you are looking for a light, dense trail running shoe with a very wide and comfortable toe box, this is the shoe for you. You may or may not like them on Tarmac as there are better options. And if you have a low arch, you might not like these shoes at all as they are very pronounced and can hurt your foot instead of offering comfort. Overall they are great for me personally (because I have high arches) and I love them on soft forest trails as they resemble moccasins. Typical Merrell quality and design make the shoe great value for money.