We've just popped up a full just in on the Merrell Barefoot Bare Access shoe - think barefoot but with twice the underfoot cushioning at 8mm instead of 4mm - but here's a bit more to chew on in the form of a quick product video from the guys

New from Merrell is a version of its successful adult Barefoot shoes designed for kids, but using the same principles and components as the adult versions of the shoe including a Vibram sole unit with a thin forefoot protection plate.The Merrell

monty straight away.Called the Merrell Barefoot Access, the new shoe still has zero heel to toe drop like a barefoot shoe, but more padding, some 8mm of EVA foam compared to just 4mm in Merrell's full-on Barefoot range. That should give a little more

FiveFingers with their weird hobbit-like toe compartments, a pair of Merrell Trail Gloves and some not quite barefoot, but not very structured, KEEN A68s. The thinking behind barefoot is that the lack of any sole or mid-sole structure means your foot

. The process hi-fi buffs go through to do this is called 'auditioning'.Posh name, but all it really means is listening to stuff back to back, switching from one to another so the memory of one is absoutely fresh in you head. And you know what, gear testing

outdoors shoes, what with Merrell's new range of barefoot shoes in the offing and innov-8 embracing the concept for off-road running.More about the Teva range at www.teva.com

an award for their floppy-soled trail come fell-running shoe and went a step further with a minimalist urethane foot cover designed for running on grassy meadows and on sand.It's not all niche either. Merrell, who are as mainstream as you can get, has a

.It's not just inov-8 though. Vibram's odd-looking FiveFingers range is basically a fitted rubber glove for your feet and has hovered somewhere left of centre for the past few years. But next spring, things get mainstream with the launch of the Merrell Barefoot