Minimal/Barefoot style running shoes . . .

[limewave]

Okay, so the shoes came today afterall!!! I've tried them both on and they feel awesome (at least walking around the house and doing chores). Actually, funny story, I tried the "Bare Access" on and could not believe how wonderful they felt. And then I put on the lithe and my stomach lurched. I could feel the seams inside! It was horrible and scratchy. Oh man. . . . And then I took them off and discovered they still had cardboard in them. Once I took the cardboard out, they felt great too. Here are some picture comparisons to my NB 759s shoes.

Comparison Guide (runner's world)
NB 759
M Lithe Glove
M Bare Access

Photos (sorry for the gross feet picture--you can see I've had Bunionectomy surgery):

[limewave]

I went for my first run in the Access Arc's yesterday:
1.5 miles on the track.

It definitely felt different, I could feel much more of the surface. It felt like I was landing mid- or flat-foot (not on my heal at all). It got me thinking about running form. I need to pull out my copy of Chi Running and read up on it.

I had no problems during or after the run. Looking forward to trying the Lithe Glove's out on the trail this week!

[bluejellybean]

Thanks for the update! I'm leaning towards the lithe, but wondering how they would be on a *bit* more aggressive trails or if they should just be kept on the softer terrain. Look forward to seeing how they work for you!

I went for my first run in the Access Arc's yesterday:
1.5 miles on the track.

It definitely felt different, I could feel much more of the surface. It felt like I was landing mid- or flat-foot (not on my heal at all). It got me thinking about running form. I need to pull out my copy of Chi Running and read up on it.

I had no problems during or after the run. Looking forward to trying the Lithe Glove's out on the trail this week!

[limewave]

Thanks for the update! I'm leaning towards the lithe, but wondering how they would be on a *bit* more aggressive trails or if they should just be kept on the softer terrain. Look forward to seeing how they work for you!

The trails by my house are mostly sand and soft dirt--however, they can be filled with tree roots! Lots and lots of roots. I have a trail run on the books for Thursday. I'll update after that.

[bluejellybean]

Yeah, the trails around here are pretty rooty and rocky but they look great to try on some softer stuff!

The trails by my house are mostly sand and soft dirt--however, they can be filled with tree roots! Lots and lots of roots. I have a trail run on the books for Thursday. I'll update after that.

[nscrbug]

I'm glad to hear that you liked the Bare Access. Right now, it's my favorite shoe of the 3 pairs that I alternate between - the Merrell Bare Access Arc, Altra Intuition, and Nike Free V.3.

[limewave]

I've been hiking and running in the Merrell Lithe Glove shoes. I really like them ON the trail. They were not comfortable on pavement at all. As long as I'm doing a dedicated trail run (which is most of the time) then they are great. They offer a lot of protection while also having the ability to help you feel/connect to the trail. It's a unique and new running experience for me. I really like how they fit, snug--like a glove.

I made a video review on my blog--very non-technical. I go for how things feel . . .