Xero Shoes Men's Mesa Trail II Barefoot Trail Run Shoe

I have a spinal issue and so far these shoes have resulted in no pain for me. Comfortable and extremely lightweight, while the tread works exceptionally well, even in very slippery wet grass on the side of a steep slope. I can finally take my dog outside again for good walks without having to worry about falling and getting injured. Shoes got soaked, and feet are completely dry too.

As an active individual, one of the challenges is finding a shoe that is right for the situation. Aside from getting the right dress shoes or running shoes, what I was looking for was a shoe that was more for casual wear, really comfortable and lower profile.Somehow, I happened on a video feed that talked about the Xero Shoes and I decided to order one to give it a try. I was amazed at how well the shoe fit. I did not like the color that much but more than that, I did not like the style. The good news is Xero Shoes has a few styles and I was able to find one I liked. Another piece of good news is the size was true.When they got here, I thought they were more flimsy than I expected. But after careful inspection, all the seams looked really good and seemed really well made.Well let me tell you, those shoes fit perfectly. I always order Work Orthotic Insoles for my running or exercise shoes and did the same for these even before they got here. Once I cut the insoles to match my foot profile and put them in, it was simply amazing. After about 15 minutes, the shoes simply disappeared. Not visually gone, but they fit so well, were so comfortable I completely forgot I had them on.I still need more time with them to understand how well they hold up in the long run. But right now, I love these shoes. I will try to remember and come back and update this post to let everyone know how well they hold up.

Love them. They are more beautiful than in the picture. Very comfortable. Excellent product

I have a pair of Merrell Olympia trail gloves from 2012 that I have shoe-glued i don't even know how many times and those remain my favorite bare foots to this day of all the zero drop / bare foots I've bought. But , despite still feeling great and performing well, my timeworn Olympias were looking fairly disheveled and I was going to Italy for 3 months for hiking and street days so I needed to get something fresh and I chose the Xero Mesa II.I thought i had finally found a sub for my Olympias:○ Great tread○ Light and made well○ Nice-looking (no garish colors)○ Fits and adjusts nicely, aside from too much toebox room.Thoughts after 3 months?- They look good, clean up very well, dry fast.- With toughened feet you can wear them all day.- The tread under the ball of each foot is worn flat, but otherwise good, and the shoes could last a good while more before the soles are worn through.Biggest gripe : from day one, on wet, smooth stones these soles were really, dangerously slippery, and got tired of people looking at my funny because I am suddenly gyrating my arms trying to keep from falling. In all other conditions I found them to be great but i actually started avoiding wearing them if it was wet out because cobblestones and rocky trails are everywhere in Italy and my Sperry Top Siders were more reliable. The Xero Mesa II sole is made of something between rubber and plastic. Tap a plastic thing like your keyboard with your fingernail and that is almost what these soles sound like, not like tapping the rubbery Vibram on your trusty hiking boots.So:Glad I bought them, might even buy another pair, but will probably only wear them in the summer (i live north of Seattle).I use the Yelp rating system and only rate the product (not the packaging, delivery or price etc) :1 star = Methinks not2 = I've experienced better3 = A-OK4 = I'm a fan5 stars = As good as it getsBecause of the slippery sole these aren't as good as it gets.A 3 is in bounds, but a 4 is fair.

Barefoot trail shoes are something of an inherent contradiction: unless you are running solely on grass or dirt paths without any roots, rocks, etc., the "true" barefoot experience can be a painful one. My last pair of barefoot shoes--a set of Vibram Five Fingers--were definitely not suited for trails, as the quarter inch or so of rubber offered little protection. These shoes, on the other hand, are definitely designed for trails. There isn't much padding, giving you that close-to-the-ground feel, but there is enough protection in the soles that I was able to run over tree roots, gum balls, gravel with decent sized rocks and other trail hazards without fearing for the bottom of my feet. Based on my first couple of runs, I highly recommend them. A few important caveats: 1. like other barefoot shoes, the fit tends to be different than shoes with more traditional amounts of padding. I had to try several sizes and ultimately wound up in a pair a full size smaller (9.5 instead of 10.5) than my current Altras. 2. I have been on several runs with these, and they appear sturdy, but I can't speak to their durability yet, as I have fewer than 20 miles on them at the moment. Finally, one quibble: the area I run in is filled with leaves, twigs, small rocks and other items that seem determined to find their way inside my trail shoes. It would be nice if these shoes had a tab in the back or other way to attach trail gaiters to keep debris out of the shoes (though so far nothing too big has gotten in).