Xero Shoes Mesa Trail II

Product Information

A third failure point in trail runners is an abrasion-induced failure in the mesh material. Here I finally saw some failure in the Mesa Trail, at around the 450-mile (723 km) mark. The mesh just behind the instep on both feet failed (on either side of the foot). This failure occurred at the only spot on the front three-quarters of the shoe that doesn’t have a welded covering marrying the sole and the mesh upper. Mesh failure between welded components just behind the instep. You can see where the tear has started to creep into the welded component. There is a similar tear on each side of each shoe. This started at mile 450 (724 km). Xero Shoes has continued to grow and innovate barefoot shoes which allow feet and legs to do the work. After years of using Vibram Five Fingers to train barefoot style on trails, I was excited to see Xero released a barefoot running trail shoe which seems to grasp what runners like myself are curious to try. They were kind enough to send me a pair to test. Enter the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail Shoe… The trail grip of this shoe works well on a good, grass surface but should equally be happy on light gravel and forest paths. I’d stay clear of anything too technical or demanding, mainly due to the very light and unstructured design.

Many trail running shoes feature zero (neutral) or minimal drop between the heel and the toe, which encourages a natural running style instead of high-impact heel striking stride, but still have a little bit of a midsole. What you gain here is a little bit of cushioning, and what you loose is some trail or ground ‘feel’. A word of warning If you need a more substantial shoe option, there are the TerraFlex from Xero and the Trek Ascent from Vibram. The standout feature of the shoe is deep airy toe box. Yes, the toe box is moderately wide, but having that depth to the shoe is refreshing, allow for the toes to wiggle in every direction. As a 6’7″ trail runner, I’ve also played a lot of basketball over the years and have been studying the KneesOverToesGuy who rehabbed his frail and chronically painful knees through unorthodox methods. Many of his videos show him wearing Xero Shoes including the HFS, the Prio, and even the Mesa Trail (Notice the cameo here, including on the dunk)! This is on the basketball court during training sessions. He doesn’t appear to wear the shoes during games. Let's learn a bit more about the company behind these two excellent barefoot shoe models. Xero Shoes is a brand that has grown significantly in popularity among the barefoot and minimalist shoe community. Their focus on producing shoes that allow for natural, close-to-barefoot movement has earned them a solid reputation and a loyal following.A final point – I sent photos of this mesh failure to Xero Shoes and they sent me a new pair, with assurances that this kind of damage is covered under the manufacturer warranty. Steven Sashen in particular was surprised – he said none of their testers had managed to make the shoe wear like this. I’ve 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. Here’s a shot of the mesh failure and welded component tear on the other shoe. Compared To… These shoes are comfortable out of the box and essentially have no break-in period. I wore mine around the house out of curiosity, but then hit the trail without a hitch. The wide toebox fit my 2w feet perfectly. From the very first run, I forgot about the shoe and was busy chatting with my friend. Increasing mileage slowly and listening to your body are paramount when pushing distance in this shoe, especially if you're new to the zero drop minimalist category. Multisurface performance If you have any questions about the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail in regard to its construction on trails and hikes, drop your questions below. Xero Shoes Mesa Trail FAQs My Vibram V-Alphas leave me wanting when the trail surface is nothing but half dollar sized, arch stabbing limestone debris or a steep descent. Plus, running everyday in VFFs isn’t my preference — I use them as a training tool. The construction of the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail running shoes provide many VFF-like benefits while adding features a technical trail runner needs. Aggressive but Not Overbuilt Lugs The Mesa Trail has aggressive lugs which still work well on smooth surfaces without creating drag.

Lastly, let's touch upon style and aesthetics. While this is a personal preference, both models have a sporty and functional look that can easily transition from the trails to casual wear. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you have any questions about the sizing on the sizing with the Mesa Trail, drop a comment below and I can help direct you accordingly! Price Breakdown Compared to other barefoot shoes, I do like the Mesa Trail’s comfort. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but the hidden 3mm TrailFoam mixed with this model’s insole does provide you with a bit more cushion for your ride. From the image, you can see the average of my foot strikes during a 1.3-mile shoe study performed on a fairly flat soft trail.While the rubber may not be as grippy as Megagrip or downright hard wearing as the TC5+ offered by Vibram, it is an excellent balance between traction and durability. Below, I’ve provided some of the key construction aspects that come with the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail. This model is once again very similar to the Xero Shoes HFS when it comes to its upper construction design. You can see that I’m obviously a forefoot runner, but that’s just natural when you move to barefoot shoes. And then rolling to the outside of the foot to provide cushioning from the impact.

Donning these huarache-style sandals– inspired by the footwear used by the long-distance runners among the Rarámuri people of the Mexico’s Copper Canyons, as described in Christopher McDougall's book Born to Run – is about as close as you can get to really running barefoot, while minimising the risk of gashing your foot on flint or glass, which would be a really annoying way to put yourself out of action. There is nothing between the soles of your feet and the dirt except 5mm of ‘FeelTrue’ rubber, and the sandal is held on with nylon straps (with silicone grip), which go between your toes and around the Achilles strap. People who are confident wearing these sandals run all sorts of distances (including ultras) in them, across challenging terrain in various conditions. The shoe laces themselves seem odd to me, but they work. The laces are rounded and sturdy, reminding me of a boot lace or sturdy camping cord. On my size 14 shoe, there is just enough length to double-knot. A single-knot test failed and the shoes untied while running. When double-knotted the shoes have never untied. With all the marketing and technology going around the shoe industry, the value of a sturdy and dependable trail shoe can be hard to define. And, then came the Trail Mesa from Xero Shoes. The best barefoot running shoes – or best natural running shoes / best minimal running shoes, according to your preferred terminology – share certain very specific characteristics, yet, as evidenced here, they can also look very different to one another.The second pro of this model is how maneuverable the 5mm FeelTrue rubber sole is along with its 3.5mm lugs. If you want a shoe that’s highly responsive and allows you to feel all of the obstacles that you can run into on your adventures but also not kill your feet, then I think you’ll like the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail. Despite enjoying my Xero Shoes Mesa Trail model, there are a couple of cons worth noting about this model. The TerraFlex has 4 mm lugs, while the Mesa Trail has 3.5 mm lugs. I consider 0.5 mm to be a negligible difference in terms of traction. Honestly, I’d prefer if both shoes had larger, more aggressive lugs.