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Merrell Bare Access Trail

Trail shoe · Neutral · Trail · 8.5 oz (men's) · 16/16mm stack · zero-drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock.

How it ranks

The Merrell Bare Access Trail’s rating is an early estimate. We’ve collected 1 runner review so far, with brand history also informing the score.

Current estimate: Below average

69
Overall
69
Appearance
80
Value
75
Durability
75
Comfort
72
Cushioning
71
Confidence

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

Confidence

22 Very low

22

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

  1. Brand rating
  2. Our ratings
  3. External ratings

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.


Pros

  • The stack is 16mm at the heel and the forefoot, so there is no drop from heel to toe.
  • At 8.6 oz it is lighter than the 8.9 oz median for trail shoes for sale.
  • One reviewer ran 520 miles in a pair before retiring them.

Cons

  • One reviewer found the arch too prominent at first, and had to flex the midsole to break it down.
  • That reviewer describes the midsole as dead with no rebound, and the upper as tearing at the forefoot flex points early.
  • Traction holds on most trails but slips when the ground is wet, per its one reviewer.

Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale

Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.

Confidence
50 60 70 80 90 100 25 50 75 100

Better Shoes Rating

Bare Access Trail rates 69. This shoe has very low confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Runner Ratings

1 rating
5/5 0
4/5 0
3/5 1
2/5 0
1/5 0

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight
8.5 oz (men's)
Release
2016
MSRP
$100
Stack
16/16mm
Drop
0mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 1–1 of 1 written review

3/5

Overall

The arch is too prominent for my medium arch, at least at first. I needed to break down the midsole material in the arch area by flexing/pressing it to heck. Once that is solved, the shoe is only OK. I like the zero heel rise of the platform. The midsole feels dead, with no rebound. The traction is decent for most trails, except when wet. The upper tears at the forefoot flex points early, though I dragged it out to 520 miles before I retired them.

Lightning Racer · Jul 28, 2015

60 mpw came from the Nike Zoom Wildhorse 1

Comfort
3/5
Durability
3/5
Appearance
3/5
Value
3/5

Alternatives

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Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Current shoe
Choose a model
Lightest
Newest / Lowest price / Best appearance
Best overall / Best comfort / Best cushioning
Shoe properties
Type
Trail shoe
Trail shoe
Daily trainer
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
8.5 oz (men's) Lightest
9.7 oz
9.9 oz
Stack
16/16mm
—
40/35mm
Drop
0mm
8mm
4mm
Release
2016
2026 Q2 Newest
2022 Q3
MSRP
$100
$155
$165
Best price
—
$93 Lowest price
$95
Ratings
Overall
69 Below average
92 Very good
99 Exceptional Best overall
Comfort
72 Decent
79 Decent
99 Exceptional Best comfort
Cushioning
71 Decent
77 Decent
99 Exceptional Best cushioning
Durability
75 Decent
85 Good
97 Exceptional Best durability
Appearance
80 Good
95 Excellent Best appearance
75 Decent
Value
75 Decent
84 Good Best value rating
77 Decent
Specific shoe

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