I was looking to buy another pair of shoes to rotate out my Merrell Pace Glove shoes, so I saw these. Saucony is my go-to running shoe because they don't give me blisters or shin splints like other shoes do (Brooks, Nike, Asics). I converted to barefeet shoes because after Saucony updated their Kinvara shoe, it started pinching my arches during my run, which is extremely uncomfortable and painful! It saddened me quite a bit because I recommend them to all my friends who have shoe problems, but I saw the Hattori's and I wanted to give Saucony another shot. After all, their first model of Kinvara shoes got me through Basic Training!

Now I read the reviews very carefully before I ordered, and yes, you definitely want to get a half size up. I normally wear 8 1/2, but I ordered a size 9 and they fit like my 8 1/2 pair of Saucony Kinvara shoes. At first, I kind of hated them because they were a little tight and the sole felt a little weird, but now that they're broken in (after a run or two), I can't take them off! They're lighter than my Merrell's, which surprised me because my Merrells are extremely light to begin with. The velcro strap is a nice addition because it takes less time to put on the shoes and they also have a velcro strap in the heel to accommodate narrower heels. I got a lot of compliments on these shoes when I showed up to the PT test wearing these. By the way, I have a normal arch, and after breaking them in, the support felt adequate. They feel vastly different to the Merrell Pace Glove shoes that I own. My Merrells literally fit like a glove, but the Hattori's feel smoother on the bottom and feel a little like slippers.

The only real problem I have with the Hattori's is that they are definitely not winter shoes because it is mostly mesh-y on the top. I took a PT test in these shoes in 47 degree weather and my toes practically froze off. I didn't feel my toes again until about halfway through my run when my feet started warming up a little, so the following day at drill, I wore my Merrells. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is a bad thing though! I can imagine how awesome these are going to feel during the summer when my feet will cool off better because of the superior ventilation...

Honestly, I prefer these shoes over the Merrell Pace Glove shoes. I'll wear the Merrells more during the winter because they protect my toes (and it doesn't get ridiculously cold in southeast NC), but I'll definitely put more use into the Hattori shoes for the heavier PT days. Another plus to the Hattori shoes is that if the mesh gets dirty, I can take a washcloth, some soap, and water, and clean them, and they will dry pretty quickly when I vigorously rub a dry towel on them.

Overall, I feel that these are a pretty awesome pair of barefeet shoes and kudos to Saucony for jumping on the barefeet bandwagon!