Facts
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Discontinued
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Terrain
Road
Shoes best for road, track and light gravel. See the best road shoes.
Trail
Shoes best for trail, off road, mountains and other unstable surfaces. See the best trail shoes.
Good to know
As long as you stick to the road or path, and if you want just one running shoe, buy a road running shoe.
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Arch support
Neutral / cushion / high arch
Shoes for runners who do not need any additional arch support (Around 50% of runners). Best for people with normal, high or medium high arches. See the best neutral shoes.
Stability / overpronation / normal arch
Shoes for runners who need mild to moderate arch support (Around 45% of runners). Best for runners with a low arch. See the best stability shoes.
Motion control / severe overpronation / flat feet
Shoes for runners who needs a lot of arch support. Best for runners with flat feet. See the best motion control shoes.
Good to know
- Rule of thumb: If in doubt, buy neutral shoes to avoid injuries.
- More about arch support in this video.
- Find your arch type by following steps from this video. -
Use
Daily running
Cushioned shoes for your daily easy running. Great comfort. See best shoes for daily running.
Competition
Lightweight shoes good for races, interval training, tempo runs and fartlek. Here are the best competition running shoes.
Good to know
If you want just one pair of shoes, buy a shoe for daily running.
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Price€130
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WeightMen: 235gWomen: 204g
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Heel to toe dropMen: 0mmWomen: 0mm
The height difference from the heel to the forefoot, also known as heel drop, toe spring, heel to toe spring or simply drop.
There are many opinions about what a good heel drop is. We do not recommend any in particular. Lean more in this video.
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Heel heightMen: 15mmWomen: 15mm
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Forefoot heightMen: 15mmWomen: 15mm
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WidthMen: NormalWomen: Normal
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Release dateUnknown
Rankings
Expert Reviews
Experts are runners, who post reviews at youtube, directly at RunRepeat or at their own websites. Each expert is categorized from level 1 to level 5 based on expertise. See stats on expert reviews and how we calculate scores here.
Are you an expert? Apply to contribute here.
87 / 100 based on 11 expert reviews
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The Merrell Bare Access Trail worked best for minimalist runners looking for a small amount of comfort and protection for long trail days, or trail runners seeking a low and lightweight race shoe for distances up to 50K.
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The almost-zero-drop, close-to-the-earth shoe offers plenty of feel--too much feel for those who tested it on rocky trails, where the underfoot protection was inadequate against sharp impact.
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They are an ideal natural-feeling shoe for longer, dryer and rocky trails, and I look forward to my continuing use of them for both training and racing.
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The tongue is slightly padded and does not put pressure on the foot like other trail shoes sometimes do.
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The lace system is simple, yet effective and best of all, the laces stay tied. The tongue is slightly padded and does not put pressure on the foot like other trail shoes sometimes do.
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Offering durability as well as good levels of flex.
- Merrell’s mastery when it comes to shoes with minimalist features is very evident in the Bare Access Trail. While this is not the ultra-minimalist type, the shoe offers more than enough flexibility, a low to the ground feel, and good ground feedback to moderately mimic barefoot running.
- Versatility is a huge upside in the shoe as this can be an excellent race day option or it can be a rugged, everyday trainer because of its superior cushioning relative to its weight. This becomes a hybrid option as a racer/trainer, road/trail alternative or a transition shoe for those who are looking to experience more of the minimalist type of running shoe.
- Without placing a midfoot insert, Merrell made the ride stable in the Bare Access Trail. It begins with a low platform, a zero drop, and moderate tread patterns that allow runners to be very secure, supported, and confident in their gait cycles.
Runners who fancy a tight heel and an even snugger midfoot that ultimately leads to a wide toe box will easily fall in love with this shoe. Generally, the fit of the heel to the midfoot is narrow to medium. Luckily, the wide forefoot accommodates a large number of runners and is perfect for a really plush platform every takeoff. Medium is the available width of the Bare Access Trail. Sizing is fairly standard. For those wanting to have more space in the heel and midfoot, going half a size up is a good option. Sizes are from 5 to 15 for the men’s and 4 to 11 for the women’s.
The Vibram outsole continues to be the rubber of choice in most of Merrell’s trail shoes for its superb traction and durability. Merrell creates a really versatile shoe as the rubber configuration is not too aggressive. Running from the door to the trail, even technical trail is a handy capability of this shoe.
Merrell packed the midsole with several of its premium foams. There is the UniFly foam, which gives decent ground feedback despite its moderate cushioning features. The M-Bound foam is also located here for its responsive cushioning. Adding underfoot support and enduring performance is an 8mm strip of EVA.
The upper is durability personified with a very durable and breathable mesh that is supported by TPU overlays. It is definitely an upper that can take a serious beating on the trail. Comfort is provided by a decent padding in the heel and tongue while the proprietary M-Select Odor Control fights off bad smell. A traditional lace-up closure using simple but very effective laces enables runners to get their best fit. Additionally, these laces stay tied from the start to finish.