Minimal/Barefoot style running shoes . . .

[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 . . .