Barefoot Athlete www.barefootathlete.co.uk

I'm fairly obsessive about running in minimal shoes (I don't like the term 'barefoot shoes' for obvious reasons). I have spent the last three months regularly trawling the internet for information about Merrell's Barefoot line. It came as quite a surprise that I had never heard of the first website to show that they had stock of the shoes I wanted, barefootathlete.co.uk.

The website is nicely designed and easy to use, and the product prices are comparable to those of other web retailers. I really liked that the website is linked to a blog about barefoot and minimal running and is solely ('scuse the pun) dedicated to minimal shoes. This is clearly put together by someone who is interested and passionate.

A few (very) minor criticisms: The site listed the shoes as available to purchase before the stock had actually arrived (or at least was available to ship). Also, the telephone line links to a sister company which specializes in cables, causing a little confusion. However, I'm sure these minor issues will get ironed out as the company becomes more established.

The customer service was really impressive. I was called and emailed when those minor issues arose concerning the delivery of the product, and the staff were professional and helpful.

I'm sure I will use this company again in the future.