Purchased these at a shoe warehouse store for around $80.  I recently finished reading The Primal Blueprint (went totally Grok) and have started going barefoot more often.  These shoes looked like a good option to have the barefoot experience but didn't look stupid and I felt they would keep me from getting hurt if I stepped on something pointy/gross/poisonous while walking trails in the woods.  Definitely read all the info on the Merrell and Vibram websites and don't overdo wearing these until you get used to them.  Little muscles I never knew I had were hurting all over because I wore them for about 4 hours just after I got them.  I am very pleased with the shoe, the fit is snug and sturdy, they rinse off easily and dry quickly and thoroughly if I get them muddy.  They are light as a feather too.  My one complaint, and it's not just with these shoes - is that the blasted shoelaces will NOT STAY TIED!  My kingdom for some old fashioned shoe laces.  I would gladly give up the aesthetics of having the laces match the color and techie material of the shoes for some plain laces that stay tied.  What good are fitness shoes if you have to keep stopping to tie them?  My recent technique is a double double loop followed by a double-tied bow and I think I've finally got it nailed down, but there have been several times when I would have totally yelled at a Merrell customer service rep if I would've had one within earshot.  I'm probably going to switch to another type of lace.  Anyway - buy them, build up your fitness level to wear them, run around in the woods like our ancient ancestors, read The Primal Blueprint, and remember to double tie the laces on these suckers.  You'll be happy you did.