Type a shoe name, like Pegasus, Clifton or Kayano.

Merrell Bare Access Trail

Trail · Neutral · 8.6 oz · 16/16mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock.

How it ranks

The Merrell Bare Access Trail trails most trail shoes in our data. Looks and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 1 runner review. Another 11 reviews would set the confidence on this shoe's own reviews.

Current estimate: Below average

65/100
Overall
65
Appearance
78
Durability
69
Value
69
Comfort
69
Cushioning
60
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 will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

Confidence

8/100

8

Based on product-line history, external ratings, and 1 runner rating.

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

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 on 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 65. This shoe has very low certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Reader Ratings

1 rating
5/5 0
4/5 0
3/5 1
2/5 0
1/5 0
See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight
8.6 oz
Release
2016
MSRP
$1
Stack Height
16mm heel - 16mm toe

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 1–1 of 1 written review

Reader 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

Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Shoe image placeholder
HOKA Speedgoat 6
HOKA Clifton 9
Bare Access Trail
Speedgoat 6
Clifton 9
Current shoe
Choose a model
Reference shoe
Newest / Lowest price / Best value
Lightest / Best overall / Best comfort
Shoe properties
Type
Trail
Trail
Daily trainer
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
8.6 oz M
8.6 oz M
8.5 oz M Lightest
Stack
16/16mm
37/32mm
40/35mm
Drop
—
5mm
5mm
Release
2016
2024 Q2 Newest
2023 Q1
MSRP
$1
$155
$145
Best price
—
$115.25 Lowest price
$149.99
Ratings
Overall
Below average (65)
Exceptional (98)
Exceptional (99) Best overall
Comfort
Below average (69)
Very good (92)
Exceptional (99) Best comfort
Cushioning
Bottom-tier (60)
Exceptional (98)
Exceptional (99) Best cushioning
Durability
Below average (69)
Very good (92)
Very good (92) Best durability
Appearance
Decent (78)
Good (87)
Very good (91) Best appearance
Value
Below average (69)
Excellent (93) Best value
Good (88)
Specific shoe

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Merrell Bare Access Trail In Context

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