The Mesa Trail is wider than a conventional running shoe with a toe box that more accurately mimics the shape of your feet. Welded components and more mesh make the Mesa Trail a lighter shoe. At this time, the only shoes not vegan-friendly are the Alston and Coalton, which are made of leather, and the Mika and Pacifica, which contain a small amount of wool. The wide toe box lets my foot return to its more natural shape after too many years in tight-toed pumps. But again be wary since their sizing varies for each model. The Best Xero Shoes Road Running Shoe 2023. With higher cushioned shoes GRF are usually higher due to the lack of sensory feedback from the ground feeding information to the brain to land softly. I switched last year from traditional boots to trail runners. With both shoes having a 5000-mile sole guarantee, youd expect both outsoles to be similar. Xero Terraflex - Women's - $99.99. Ive struggled with the fit and sizing of nearly every other Xero shoe Ive ordered, and I usually have to exchange* them at least once. Heel-to-toe drop: 0 mm The Terraflex's rugged sole is suitable for daily use, trail running, and hiking. Be cautious if this is your first foray into minimalist shoes and start slowly. Not intended for rugged terrain. And as much as this confers other advantages - low weight, stability, confidence, superior ground feel - it does not make for a shoe that is going to baby your feet on high mileage days with a heavy pack over punishing terrain. Yes, its a minimal shoe but I still think there is room for improvement in the rock plate. In most shoes I've come across, a men's US8 converts to an EU 42, whereas with Xero it converts to an EU 41. The ground feel is much better, but it still offers enough protection. With a full wrap-around toe box (actually, the wrap-around covers the whole shoe is it still a toe box at that point?) It was a sandal, rolled up into a small circle, loosely held between a thumb and index finger. The shoes are relatively deep. You feel all rocks and anything beneath your feet, but not in a bad way. Whisker Litter-Robot 4 Review: Is This Self-Cleaning Litter Box for Cats Worth The Money? It's surprisingly lightweight. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Not water proof, but walking through wet meadows or mucky surfaces theyre not a sponge to moisture, but will get moist eventually. Click here to access the Xero Australia website. How do the Xero Mesa perform in slippery conditions? Thank you, and enjoy the read! I started thru-hiking to help me battle mental illness and prove to myself just how amazing I am. The minimal trail shoe with ultimate protection. The mesh just behind the instep on both feet failed (on either side of the foot). If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. You have entered an incorrect email address! With slightly less flex and a little more stack height, the Terraflex II performs more like a traditional shoe than any other minimal shoe. If youve read my reviews before, you might know that I like to perform a quick gait analysis of myself running in the shoes. Others allow your foot to remain arches on its own and do not force your foot down. Any and all feedback welcome! The laces are descent, but for whatever reason Ive had instances of them coming untied repeatedly. To be clear, I haven't walked trails in these shoes, so take my impressions with that qualification. After 500 miles (805 km), this aspect of the shoe shows no signs of failure. Thanks for sharing your experience. Warning: social media content is mostly cat-related. The Mesa Trail is a truly minimalist shoe with no cushy foam padding or arch support. I have only just seen this message, sorry! I feel way more secure on my feet. This is because all through life, youre brain has been trained to account for that elevated heel which is built into so many shoes on the market. If youre looking for a minimal shoe with knarly trail protection, youre in for a treat. The Xero Shoes Mesa Trail (8.5 oz / 241 g, $119.99) is a lightweight, minimalist trail runner best used for fastpacking and other fast and light pursuits. But bare in mind that I pounded these shoes on the rough Colorado Trail with my body weight + a pack. To further back up Xero Shoes confidence, the outsole has a 5000-mile guarantee. Has anyone tried both? Aside from the size discrepancy, the overall shape of the shoes are similar. I enjoy both shoes, but the Mesa Trails flexibility wins out on nearly every run. If you click on one of these links and visit one of our affiliate partners (usually a retailer site), and subsequently place an order with that retailer, we receive a small commission. Backpacking Light helps hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts overcome their barriers to living a life outside in Wild Places. 4. We design all of our shoes here in Colorado. Its worth noting a few things here. Your request will be processed within 10 business days of receipt. What did you think? But Ive found the Mesa Trail to have a much softer rubber and wear much quicker. Required fields are marked *. Also very waterproof which is nice considering the weather here. the lone peaks were quite comfortable, but i didn't get the performance out of them like i was hoping and would slip a bit going up moderately steep hills on even, packed dirt; they were as durable as they advertise, i got about 5-600 miles on those. My feet get tender, especially on mountain terrain. Connects to a rubber piece at the bottom. They are a solid platform on the rocks, though durability is a serious issue. Take a quick 5-question quiz to identify the perfect minimal running shoe for your feet! How would that work and what are the better options? Im noticing the newer version seems to have a weld at the location that these tore during your testing. The toe cap material separates very quickly. The padding is lightweight and doesn't obstruct your feet, which can only be beneficial as protection for certain outdoors activities, 2. He answered that much of the heft in otherwise lightweight shoes comes from midsole material. Thanks for your support! Prefer my Vivos for trips of less than a week. I assume that whoever wrote the headline thought that the shoes weighed 8.5 oz for the pair but your review is clear in saying that this is per shoe. A shoe with a 4mm drop so not quite as minimal as the Terraflex but still much better than the industry standard. The Terraflex is quite versatile for casual wear. I wanted something a bit softer and more flexible through the arch than the Merrell Trail Glove, and these shoes do fit that bill. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); When wearing running shoes, do you have any recurring issues with the following area(s) of your foot? I recently bought both the Xero Mesa Trail. Extremely comfortable, softer insole than most barefoot shoes. I first learned about Xero shoes from an ad in a popular hiking magazine. The sole on the Xero feels like a harder material and seems to wear down slower. Take a quick 5-question quiz to identify the perfect minimal running shoe for your feet! You can find him onInstagram,Twitter, and at hiswebsite. This is done because I receive a kickback from the sellers at no extra cost to you! Often barefoot shoes lack depth even if they have width, but thats not true here. Other than the insert though they don't really have any padding and eventually the insert is going to collapse and get squished to nothing. Unfortunately, all this means I have not tested these shoes to the degree that I normally would have. What is the most important aspect of a running shoe for you? The Terraflex II is made with durability and protection in mind, and the thick overlays contribute to a stiffer, more secure fit. Well, Im here to tell you it feels much different. You had mentioned that you used these in winter together with waterproof socks. Every now and then, during a fast downhill, I would step on a sharp rock with the arch of my foot and really feel the sting. The tread is actually very rigid if you are used to Five Fingers or MT10s. I had to stop wearing the Terraflex, they were uncomfortable because the sole curved upwards at the toe. Ive put 300 miles (483 km) on the new pair and they are holding up even better than the first pair which makes me think that the late-winter running conditions (with occasional punching through sharp snow crust) contributed to the failure of the original pair at the 450 mile (724 km) mark. I tried 2 other shoes from Xero in the same order as the Terraflex 2 . No. It says: Can a shoe that weighs just over four ounces survive 500 miles of trail use?. I jumped through a few puddles in the terraflex, and I didnt get wet feet, but if the moisture is persistent, I imagine your feet will still get wet. It means you wont find as much give in shoes if you have any pressure points, or at least itll take a while for the upper to give a little and mold to your foot shape. Original damage was probably caused by late-season winter running and punching through sharp snow crust. How do you like your running shoe to feel? I feel like both shoes have the same basic shape, so you might want to stay away from the mesa trail as well. On these runs, I often carried 10 lb (5 kgs) of water and food. Click. These commissions help us provide authors with honoraria, fund our editorial projects, podcasts, instructional webinars, and more, and we appreciate it a lot! And thats why you should buy at least size larger than your standard (Ive even gone a full size larger). Sara's foot is 25cm long and 9.5cm wide and is an EU 39 or US 8 in most brands and tried the Terraflex 2 in a US 8 EU 38.5. This meant all my walking had to be super close to home. After running barefoot for a while your brain and body will sync up again and you will instinctively start to run light-footed, with very little force wasted, as you impact with the ground. I put 500 miles (805 km) on these shoes between January and May of 2020 and another 300 miles (483 km) on a second pair between June and August. The ankle is narrower than the mans version and at a just-right height to keep my foot securely in place. Disclaimer: These shoes were given to us to review, however our opinion is our own. Knowing that youll be less likely to batter your feet at the end of a race or a long run is always a bonus. Impact force is the force exerted in a verticle direction when my foot first contacts the ground. The TerraFlex has 4 mm lugs, while the Mesa Trail has 3.5 mm lugs.