WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 36
  1. #1

    Default Xero Shoes Z Trail

    Putting this here, rather than in a thread about camp shoes.

    FYI:
    Xero Shoes Umata Z-Trail size 10
    My feet are 9.5EEE:
    20190529_031255.jpg

    317g/11.18oz for the pair:
    20190529_032720.jpg
    Half an ounce more than what I've been using, but will make a much better camp shoe. Either is a luxury item, but a little girl could haul my current pack weights, so whatever.


    First impressions:
    Comfortable with or without socks, and pack flat. I can see why some reviewers complained about them being a bit cumbersome to adjust, but it's pretty simple. Set it and forget it for me, since my use won't be as demanding as someone using them for running.


    Bit cheesy for a $80 sandal, though. They're what I wanted in terms of features, and I like them, but also think they're overpriced, even at the $66 I paid with a discount from REI.
    Made in China. Stitching and details are acceptable, but mediocre. There are some small inconsistencies where the molded rubber layers are joined, little spots of whatever adhesive was used to bond them showing in a few places, things like that. Nothing that should affect them in practical use, just nitpicky stuff I'd prefer not to see with that price tag.
    Only "real" dislike/concern is the strap going through flexible rubber that's an extension of the sole material and doesn't have clean edges.
    20190529_032520.jpg
    They do have a 6 month manufacturer guarantee in addition to a 5000 mile wear warranty.

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-19-2013
    Location
    Harrisburg PA
    Age
    61
    Posts
    162

    Default

    I have a pair that I use for camp shoes, as well as for the showers and locker room at the gym. I like that they pack flat, and don't have a thong between my toes...I hate having something between my toes. I think Xero does offer a similar sandal with a between-toe strap. I agree, a bit overpriced tho.

  3. #3

    Default

    About 6 weeks ago, I had to do a shallow river crossing in AL's Sipsey Wilderness. Though temps were in the 30s, the trails there are much gentler than my usual haunts on the Cumberland Plateau, so I took the opportunity to leave the sandals on, and try actually hiking in them.

    Always wondered what hiking in 0 drop footwear was like, and got in about 3 miles total with them. I've also always wondered how people hike in shorts in cool weather, so left my pants legs rolled up.
    Was laughing about there being ice around some of the waterfalls, and on the root next to me when I sat down to don the sandals, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd expected once I got out of the water.

    20210113_180844.jpg

    The Z Trails had good grip on rock and downed trees. The zero drop/barefoot fit felt really good to me, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed hiking in them. Now I'd like to try some lower, or 0, drop shoes.


  4. #4

    Default

    I just came back from doing some hiking in Utah, plus a dash up to Fruita, CO to see the Rattlesnake Arches. My toes were not happy after a few days of doing lots of off camber hiking and steep descents in Canyonlands. Less than halfway into the quickie overnighter in CO, I had to cut open, and take a chunk off, the end of a pinky toe. Along with the one on my other foot, it had previously developed a blister, and they'd both been drained and taped after having a ridge of callous cut off(Canyonlands and my "normal" hiking callouses did not get along very well, apparently).
    After a quick jaunt into Arches at sunset, then some short dayhikes while checking out Canyonlands' Island in the Sky district for the first time, that toe was just done.
    I wasn't though, as I had a day left before flying home, and wanted to use that day go back to Capitol Reef NP.
    A 2 mile roundtrip hike proved to be torture, and I decided to try the Z Trails on a second hike that totaled ~9 miles.
    Nothing. No pain in my toe, no discomfort at all in my feet. From the sandals, anyway. Turns out lightweight merino socks won't protect you from a cactus spine(who knew?!?).
    My lower legs felt like they were pumped full of blood for a little while, but that went away after less than an hour. I've read, in practically every barefoot shoe/sandal review, that you need to work your way into hiking with that kind of footwear, but didn't have any other issues with it.
    I've actually hated wearing regular shoes in the 3 days since, and was out shopping for 0 drop, minimal ones, yesterday.
    Unfortunately, there's not much(zero!) selection nearby.
    Xero is low on stock right now, but I'm going to order their Terraflex shoes when they get them back in, and may go ahead and order the Prio for the gym, as I'm about to start working out again.
    VideoCapture_20210310-112134.jpg

    20210314_095122.jpg

  5. #5
    Registered User One Half's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-05-2010
    Location
    in a bus
    Age
    53
    Posts
    1,802

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by OwenM View Post
    I just came back from doing some hiking in Utah, plus a dash up to Fruita, CO to see the Rattlesnake Arches. My toes were not happy after a few days of doing lots of off camber hiking and steep descents in Canyonlands. Less than halfway into the quickie overnighter in CO, I had to cut open, and take a chunk off, the end of a pinky toe. Along with the one on my other foot, it had previously developed a blister, and they'd both been drained and taped after having a ridge of callous cut off(Canyonlands and my "normal" hiking callouses did not get along very well, apparently).
    After a quick jaunt into Arches at sunset, then some short dayhikes while checking out Canyonlands' Island in the Sky district for the first time, that toe was just done.
    I wasn't though, as I had a day left before flying home, and wanted to use that day go back to Capitol Reef NP.
    A 2 mile roundtrip hike proved to be torture, and I decided to try the Z Trails on a second hike that totaled ~9 miles.
    Nothing. No pain in my toe, no discomfort at all in my feet. From the sandals, anyway. Turns out lightweight merino socks won't protect you from a cactus spine(who knew?!?).
    My lower legs felt like they were pumped full of blood for a little while, but that went away after less than an hour. I've read, in practically every barefoot shoe/sandal review, that you need to work your way into hiking with that kind of footwear, but didn't have any other issues with it.
    I've actually hated wearing regular shoes in the 3 days since, and was out shopping for 0 drop, minimal ones, yesterday.
    Unfortunately, there's not much(zero!) selection nearby.
    Xero is low on stock right now, but I'm going to order their Terraflex shoes when they get them back in, and may go ahead and order the Prio for the gym, as I'm about to start working out again.
    VideoCapture_20210310-112134.jpg

    20210314_095122.jpg
    Going from the footwear to zero drop does take time to adjust. I remember when I first went to wearing VFF I could literally feel my calves "stretching" after being in them for a few hours. But this is a more natural foot posture. Modern footwear is actually very harmful biomechanically.

    Try the New Balance Minimus (trail runner) for a zero drop every day shoe. That's what I wear on and off trail.
    https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults

    A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White

  6. #6

    Default

    Forgot this, but the Z Trail is now the Z Trail EV, though some sizes of the original are still available on clearance.
    The tread has been updated to a more aggressive pattern, which is a plus, IMO, at least for hiking in them.
    20210318_234932.png

  7. #7

    Default

    Recently used the Z Trails for a water crossing, followed by a few hundred yards of hiking to a waterfall, then back through the water crossing.
    Aside from a little casual wear, use as camp shoes, and individual water crossings, they now have maybe 12.5 miles of actual hiking on them.
    The Xero Shoes warranty page is right that you're not likely to ever need the 5000 mile guarantee against wearing through the soles, as they'll probably have fallen apart a hundred times over before seeing that much mileage
    20210416_131641.jpg

    20210416_131703.jpg
    This is not the end of the world, and some Shoe Goo will probably fix these toe sections better than new. Again, not what I want to see at this price point, though.

    In addition to some more supportive 0 drop shoes with greater stack height for the very rocky terrain I typically hike, I now have 2 pairs of Xero shoes: the Prio(for the gym) and Terraflex(mostly casual wear, may do some tame hikes).
    Their quality is also suspect, but they do share one redeeming quality with the sandals. They really are the most comfortable shoes I've ever put my feet into.
    I may have some misgivings about the quality for the price, but my feet couldn't be happier with the arrangement.

  8. #8

    Default

    My Shoe Goo fix from back when I last posted worked well, though there's some separation along the edges again.
    Just got back from another Utah trip Wednesday, this one to the High Uintas Wilderness. More footwear issues put me back in the sandals again, this time for over 32 miles, total, maybe ~35.
    Lots of offtrail hiking, traversing and descending scree fields, wading up drainages, crossing marshy meadows, stuff like that. They were great.
    Ended the trip with a separate overnighter where I used a pair of the Xero Prios that were in my luggage, and much preferred them to both my hiking shoes and the sandals(stability, toe protection, feet don't get filthy, etc). Guess I'm a "barefoot" hiker, now, as that seems to be the only thing my feet can tolerate any more.
    Having given them little thought in the meantime, and not having time to explore other brands or options before leaving on another trip Tuesday, a pair of Xero's Mesa Trails are arriving Monday. Guess I'll see how they hold up to some offtrail routes in the Rockies...

    Anyway, I'm past complaining about the Z Trails' price at this point, and am just happy to have had them along.






    Same for the Prios.


  9. #9

    Default

    I wear the Xero shoes Terra Flex. I absolutely love them for hiking. Way-back-when, I used to dance as a serious hobby (classical ballet), so I was used to being barefoot in my free time. Fast-forward to now: teleworking through the Covid pandemic, I was barefoot at home all the time. Now I just can't wear "real" shoes anymore. Last winter, the only time I wore hiking boots on the trail was when it was icy / wet / freezing weather. I have the Prio for regular stuff like errands.

  10. #10
    Registered User One Half's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-05-2010
    Location
    in a bus
    Age
    53
    Posts
    1,802

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by One Half View Post
    Going from the footwear to zero drop does take time to adjust. I remember when I first went to wearing VFF I could literally feel my calves "stretching" after being in them for a few hours. But this is a more natural foot posture. Modern footwear is actually very harmful biomechanically.

    Try the New Balance Minimus (trail runner) for a zero drop every day shoe. That's what I wear on and off trail.
    I now wear a Xero shoe every day. Either my Ztrail sandals or my mesa trail shoes. LOVE THEM both.
    https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults

    A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White

  11. #11

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by One Half View Post
    I now wear a Xero shoe every day. Either my Ztrail sandals or my mesa trail shoes. LOVE THEM both.
    Nice! I agree; love them!

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by GlitterHiker View Post
    I wear the Xero shoes Terra Flex. I absolutely love them for hiking.
    I probably could have just used my Terraflex(es?), as the size 10 Mesa Trails don't seem any bigger than the 9.5 Terraflex, which are in turn less roomy than the 9.5 Prio, which I also have in 10.

    I'm having a love/hate relationship with Xero Shoes.
    All 3 of those models are basically the same shoe. How can their sizing not be consistent?
    Their quality control, or lack thereof, is straight up pathetic. It would be different if they weren't so overpriced, but they are.
    The Prios above showed a bit of separation between the sole and upper on one shoe during that one overnight hike. Same for my new Mesa Trails.
    20210930_163334.jpg
    It's not much, not bad, and didn't get worse over the course of an extremely rough week in the Rockies, so maybe I'm not being fair by making an issue of it.
    Seeing that on both pair of their shoes that I've hiked in, with neither even having one full day of hiking, makes a very poor first impression, though<<which those charcoal/red Prios already make, looking as if they were made at the Coleco toy factory and belong in a bargain bin at WalMart.

    So there's the hate side of things.
    Other than that, it's all love.
    The Mesa Trails saw use on almost every imaginable surface, and were fantastic.
    I plan to use the Prios in the future for slickrock in places like Canyonlands, where you need contact area, not tread, but will be using the Mesa Trails everywhere else.
    Their only weaknesses were loose, small, gravel-like rock on very steep(I'm talking a climber's route with >60° incline) descents, and wet rocks that were slick as ice. It's impossible for me to fault any shoe for not gripping well on those, so...just sayin', not complaining.

    I went into this past week's hiking with sore feet that were still banged up, with only 5 days between the UT and CO trips.
    So my feet hurt constantly. There was no getting around that.
    Hiking on rocky surfaces the majority of the time, often on smaller stuff with lots of sharp edges, had me feeling like I was getting stabbed on many occasions. Between hiking over multiple passes(went over the Continental Divide 3x one day) and very steep off-trail descents down drainages from lakes and basins, my toes were also a concern due to the shoes being neither as long or quite as wide as expected. Not to worry, those "haurache-inspired" straps really work. I'm also turning into a believer as far as the barefoot design's thin soles allowing your feet to move and stretch naturally.
    Every evening, I'd check my feet, expecting to see bruises, hotspots, the beginning of a blister, something.
    Nothing. Not only did my feet look fine, the remnants of a blister that I'd already had on one of my toes actually healed up during the past week.
    Poor angle for showing the width, but my right foot has been the main source of the pain. After a week of constant pounding, ~20k' of ascent and >17k' of descent, this is what it looked like when I finally got home last night:
    20210930_135427.jpg
    Totally sold on these Mesa Trails.

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by OwenM View Post
    I'm having a love/hate relationship with Xero Shoes.
    All 3 of those models are basically the same shoe. How can their sizing not be consistent?
    Their quality control, or lack thereof, is straight up pathetic.
    My experience mirrors your own. My Ztrek sandals are pretty good for the price. My Prios, while comfortable, self-destructed in just over 200 miles. The uppers came apart and the soles began separating around 210 miles. By 250 miles they looked like they had been run over with a lawn mower. I posted a review to Amazon with more details if anyone else is interested:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-r...SIN=B08RRZWZLR

  14. #14
    Registered User One Half's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-05-2010
    Location
    in a bus
    Age
    53
    Posts
    1,802

    Default

    I expect 200 miles in a minimalist shoe on trail and hope for 300 miles. But really, 300 miles isn't going to happen in a true minimalist like Xero or VFF. My New Balance get close to 300. Sometimes more.

    Quote Originally Posted by DrewBoswell View Post
    My experience mirrors your own. My Ztrek sandals are pretty good for the price. My Prios, while comfortable, self-destructed in just over 200 miles. The uppers came apart and the soles began separating around 210 miles. By 250 miles they looked like they had been run over with a lawn mower. I posted a review to Amazon with more details if anyone else is interested:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-r...SIN=B08RRZWZLR
    https://tinyurl.com/MyFDresults

    A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. ~Paul Dudley White

  15. #15

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DrewBoswell View Post
    My Prios, while comfortable, self-destructed in just over 200 miles.

    The uppers came apart and the soles began separating around 210 miles.
    I have to say that the Mesa Trails do look and feel like nicer than the Prio or Terraflex, but my experience with the sandals above, and that sole immediately starting to come apart from the uppers just like the Prios, doesn't give me much confidence in their longevity, either.
    They feel SO good on my feet, though.
    I like them enough that I already want to buy another pair-but I don't want that to be out of necessity!
    If I don't find something better, I probably will end up buying more. Sounds like I might need to buy stock in Shoe Goo while I'm at it, though



    I probably should have started a separate thread about the Mesa Trails, but will throw some info in here.
    Along with being incredibly comfortable, they're very light.
    My Moab Ventilators in 9.5W weigh 461g/16.26oz each.
    Size 9.5 Terraflex are 284g/10.0oz apiece.
    Size 10 Mesa Trail = 222g/7.83oz

  16. #16

    Default

    When I couldn’t get a new pair of the TerraFlex, due to lack of inventory, I tried the Mesa Trail. I like them too, yet the feel/fit was slightly different. when Terra Flex was back in stock I ordered a pair. I do like the extra depth on the sole lugs for hiking - including muddy sections as well as rock scrambling.
    I agree about the inconsistency in sizing. To add to the frustration, they changed the sizing category on later models. So to choose a new shoe, I was comparing to previous shoes but had to know whether that was a 2019 model or later …
    That seems to be resolved. Overall I really like wearing them. I now have a pair each of Terra Flex, Mesa Trail, and Prio.

  17. #17

    Default

    Some more good and bad about Xero shoes.
    The bad:
    My Mesa Trails didn't make it 100 miles(90 something), before the one of the stitched in Huarache straps failed.
    20211104_082521.jpgI used them another couple of times, relacing to skip the straps on that shoe, before sending them in for warranty replacement.

    The good:
    Their customer service is outstanding. Emailed me a free return shipping label, and immediately shipped a replacement pair upon receiving my return.
    It's funny, my original pair was ordered in the week between returning from the Uintas and leaving for the Rockies, and arrived the day before my CO trip.
    Now their replacement is arriving the day before I leave for Utah again.
    Maybe these will last a little longer!

    Not sure I'll use them in the desert, though, as I think the Prios may fare better on slickrock. Guess we'll see...

  18. #18
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-25-2014
    Location
    Westchester County, NY
    Posts
    2,305

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by OwenM View Post
    Some more good and bad about Xero shoes.
    The bad:
    My Mesa Trails didn't make it 100 miles(90 something), before the one of the stitched in Huarache straps failed.
    20211104_082521.jpgI used them another couple of times, relacing to skip the straps on that shoe, before sending them in for warranty replacement.

    The good:
    Their customer service is outstanding. Emailed me a free return shipping label, and immediately shipped a replacement pair upon receiving my return.
    It's funny, my original pair was ordered in the week between returning from the Uintas and leaving for the Rockies, and arrived the day before my CO trip.
    Now their replacement is arriving the day before I leave for Utah again.
    Maybe these will last a little longer!

    Not sure I'll use them in the desert, though, as I think the Prios may fare better on slickrock. Guess we'll see...
    Thanks... I was thinking about giving these a try at one point. Looking forward to your follow-up experiences.

    Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

  19. #19

    Default

    Well, however many things I do like about their shoes, Xero would have to step up their construction quality before I could ever recommend them to anyone.
    I used the Terraflex on a low mileage hike this week, and they were great, but that's been my first impression when wearing the Z Trails, Prios, and Mesa Trails, too. All wonderfully comfortable for me; the quality just isn't there, and doesn't justify the price.


    I'll be looking for a shoe repair shop, and getting additional stitching for those upper Huarache straps on the replacement Mesa Trails.
    They say "the devil is in the details", and I think it's really just little stuff like needing to reinforce a strap or making sure soles are fully bonded to the uppers that could make all the difference with their shoes.

  20. #20

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    Thanks... I was thinking about giving these a try at one point. Looking forward to your follow-up experiences.
    My replacement Mesa Trails ended up arriving in time for my Utah trip.
    They are fantastic for slickrock hiking, but poor for hiking in sand, as the laser cut "vents" all over the shoe allow it to literally fill with sand, meaning your socks, feet, and the inside of the shoe are also caked with it.

    Did I say I couldn't recommend them?
    Guess I should be thankful for 90+ miles from the first pair, since the replacements had a strap fail in less than 15.
    Not even one full day of hiking from a brand new pair of $120 shoes-how pathetic is that?
    Xero needs to redesign these shoes, maybe just do away with the straps altogether, since they do such a crap job of implementing them.
    20211202_151421.jpg

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •