The little material that is there, though, is thoughtfully chosen. Their foam midsole offers decent cushioning, but as with the Merrells, there’s much less material between foot and ground. The FTG in their name stands for “Feel The Ground,” and just like the Merrells, I quickly learned that’s what these shoes allow you to do, too. I genuinely liked running in the Merrells, but to get a better sense of whether I just liked that particular shoe - or minimalist runners in general - I called in a pair of Columbia’s Alpine FTG trail runners from a contact of mine at the company (Columbia also makes FTG styles for women). (That said, while the zero rise from toe-to-heel does provide a great sense of ground connection, I wouldn’t mind a bit more material under my heel, especially when going downhill).

But unlike my bare feet, these have a Vibram outsole that offers a solid grip, and just enough cushioning via a layer of shock-absorbing foam to prevent injury. Most shoes are designed with added padding that puts your heel higher than your toes, but these have zero heel-to-toe offset, and really do allow me to hit the ground the same way I would if running barefoot - meaning centered on my feet, letting me more explosively launch into each new stride. I don’t feel less comfortable or supported in them, but what I do feel is more of the ground beneath me. The XTRs offer a running experience that’s as good - or even better than - any I’ve had wearing more heavy duty, technical styles. But I was still wary: Would their thinner sole with less cushioning lead to painful heel strikes, more strain on my arches, and more soreness overall?Īfter logging a few dozen miles in these things during multiple runs, I am happy to report that my fears were only that. (I also find that, generally, dedicated outdoor brands tend to make better trail gear than traditionally road- or sport-shoe companies that dabble in the outdoor space.) Aside from my trust in their maker, the XTRs - which also come in women’s styles - won me over with their simple design and the fact that the shoes are incredibly lightweight (just under eight ounces each).

Those boots lasted for years and always treated me well, which seemed reason enough to try out the brand’s minimalist Bare Access XTR trail-running shoes. So when I started to notice more and more minimally designed trail-running shoes promising the sensation of barefoot running with the protection provided by actual footwear, I thought they could be just the sort of middle ground I needed.įor my first pair of minimalist runners, I turned to Merrell - a brand I’ve known and sworn by since high school, when I got my first pair of Merrell boots for long-distance hikes. And because there is no layer of shoe between feet and ground, barefoot running helps you more quickly detect slippery or uneven surfaces, helping you better determine whether to proceed at a cautious gait or wide-open stride. Running shoeless can be less intense on your heels, because the middle of the foot - which is naturally more elastic - holds more weight each time a bare foot hits the ground. Still, I’d heard and read enough about the purported benefits of barefoot running that kept me from writing it off entirely. But I also had more practical doubts: namely, that my bare feet would be exposed to rocks, sharp debris … or the droppings of whatever animal may have scampered along the trail before me. Just like the humans who wear them, running shoes have evolved over time, with today’s offering more support, protection, resilience, and comfort than ever before. You could chalk a big reason up to evolution. For the longest time, I was a skeptic - if not full-blown critic - of the trend of running barefoot.

Merrell bar access