I own the trail glove (amazing shoe) as my primary runner and trainer but I needed a road shoe for a marathon, so I bought the original bare access. That shoe was absolutely terrible. Just go read all the negative reviews it received. However, it appears that Merrell actually listened to their customer reviews and released the access 2 as the answer. The durability problems are now fixed, with the vibram sole now covering the entire bottom of the shoe extending up the front of the shoe, along with a slightly more firm cushioning layer, which I'm happy to report didn't just collapse after the first 15 miles like on the original. This did add a small amount of weight, but I will certainly take the trade off. Also the heal rubbing problem that seems to be inherent on all Merrell shoes (at least until well broken in) is now gone. The cheap material that made up the inside of the shoe which caused blisters, with or with socks, has also been replaced with a much more foot-friendly material. Lastly, it just fits better. Instead of the shoe like feel of the original, it feels much more like a barefoot shoe should, like a protective glove. So kudos to Merrel for completely turning around that disaster of a shoe. I highly recommend this for distance runners, set a PR road marathon first time out in them.

I chose the original Bare Access as a transition shoe and have logged over 300 miles in them and have not experienced the durability issues that other runners have with them. I was training for Disney’s Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge and bought a pair of Bare Access 2 in December with the hope to be able to rotate shoes between races. Unfortunately, the Bare Access 2’s have not performed as well as the original. I thought that the sole would be an improvement but I have found the arch to be stiffer and the sole near the forefoot gives the sensation of socks balled up under the ball of your foot, which creates numbness like that experienced occasionally when you run for an extensive time on an elliptical machine. The shoe is not as flexible as the original and the stackheight contributes to a decreased feel for the road. I have since abandoned running in my Bare Access 2’s and have focused solely on your original model. I don’t want to be completely negative… the original Bare Access performed great during the 39.3 mile challenge and I will continue using them if I can still find them.

Merrell is by far my favorite shoe company. To be fair, I haven't tried a lot of other brands, but that's because I didn't have to. I bought a pair of trail gloves in late 2011 and ran 8 miles in them after not doing any serious running for many years. I didn't want to stop just because it felt so fun and natural. I regretted it the next day (too much too soon..), but now that I have a more reasonable training schedule I feel great! I picked up the Bare Access 2 yesterday because I live in the city now and can't get on the trail as easily as before (moved from eastern WA to Washington DC.). These shoes, just like any other Merrell shoe I've worn, feel like the running equivalent of an expensive Italian carbon fiber bicycle. I feel light, fast and extremely efficient in these shoes. Regular running shoes feel cheap, heavy and awkward compared to these. I'm 6'7" and have long narrow feet. The shoes are very comfortable for a guy like me. I got blisters in my trail gloves because I think I was wearing inappropriate socks. I bought some Injinji toe socks with these, went out for a fast 5k and have no blisters so far. I'll post an updated review in a couple months after I've broken these in.

Light weight, stylish looking and super comfortable; Bare Access 2 exceeded my expectations. I liked it so much I bought another pair in grey/orange.

I switched to minimalist running about a year ago and I have tried many varieties such as Vibram Fivefingers, New Balance Minimus MR00, Nike Free 3.0 V4 and Saucony Kinvara 3. My favorite was the New Balance Minimus because it was the most minimal and had a great barefoot feel, but I found it difficult to do longer runs (12+ miles) in them because my feet and achilles would hurt a lot once I went that far. The Saucony Kinvara 3 was also great for longer runs because it had a lot of cushioning, and actually a little too soft of a ride for me. Then I recently bought a pair Merrell Bare Access 2 and I love them. They are they perfect combination of the New Balance and Saucony shoes that I like and they are very durable. After about 150 miles or so, they have literally no sign of wear on the complete Vibram sole on the bottom of the shoe. I recently put these shoes to the test with an 18 mile run and they passed! I had no pain in my feet other than the tiring of the muscles and they felt great the entire time. If you are looking for a minimal shoe with good barefoot feel and a firm ride but still want a little cushioning for longer runs, the Merrell Bare Access 2 is great!