I've had these shoes for just over a week, so understand I might re-visit this review with wear comments.
Having previously transitioned to minimalist shoes via Vibram's FiveFingers line (I've worn KSOs and Bikilia LS), I must say I love these shoes. They feel like 'sports cars' on my feet. The sense of contact they give me with the ground under foot is wonderful. While I don't run on concrete and asphalt in minimalist shoes, I do run short sprints and suicides on gym floors and they work great. As someone with neuromas, I was concerned with the width of the toe box...the bigger the better. However, the toe box is perfectly spacious. As expected with a minimalist shoe flexibility is incredible. As this is a trail shoe with thicker tread, though, flexibilkity is less than the FiveFingers I've worn, but is still exceptional. As with FFs, the arch area does hug your foot which provides a great sense of shoe-to-foot security.
I plan on mostly wearing these shoes as everyday shoes rather than for running, as most running surfaces I utilize are too hard for what I believe is appropriate for minimalist shoes (i.e. concrete and asphalt). Overly engineered runnings shoes are meant, indeed, for running. If you're not running, then, yes, wear these...once you've adequately tranistioned to minimalist shoes.
I also like these shoes for everyday use precisely because they lack toes. While independent toes are great for workouts as they provide for much more independent flexion and strengthening of the digits, in an environement that is less 'sanitized' of obstructions than a gym floor, you are more prone to toe stubbing and getting debris such as weeds and grass caught in between the toes.
Overall, Merrell has many lines of minimalist shoes that I hope is maintained in the future as I experiment with similar shoes as these wear out. I do hope these are a line of shoes I can rely on in the future.
======UPDATE 5/15/2013=====
Still love these shoes. I am a bit concerned about the tread ware as there is a *bit* more than expected...just a bit. But, since I am not using these for running, but just everyday wear, I do expect them to last a while. I traded out the regular shoe laces for LaceLock laces. The standard laces were ridiculously long. I had to tuck the bows underneath the laces as they crossed the shoe's tongue to keep them from flopping all over the way. They really detracted, too, from the look. My thinking is Merrell should get away from standard laces altogeter for these shoes and sell them with the elastic locking lace kind.