Xero Shoes Mesa Trail II

Product Information

Following runs took on a similar structure, a gentle jog warm-up followed by my weekly stride session, bounding and dynamic exercises. The Mesa Trail ( men’s and women’s) looks somewhat similar to the Lems Primal 2 or a pair of Merrell Vapor Gloves, but with lugs and lateral support. There’s a bit of the goofy pill shape some of these low-cut and wider shoes have, but the style is much better than a shoe with five toes or an overbuilt, energy-swallowing marshmallow shoe — and the lugs have some muscle! Interested in anything specific about the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail shoes? Below are some of the most frequently asked questions I receive about this model. 1. Does the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail have a removable insole?

If you need a more substantial shoe option, there are the TerraFlex from Xero and the Trek Ascent from Vibram. 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. While it's minimalist tendencies may not suit every runner, the design and execution of this shoe offers hard-wearing traction, sleek cushioning and a dependable upper, Great traction 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. And in case it’s not clear, you should look elsewhere if you know you prefer a shoe with a substantial, more traditional midsole that absorbs impacts and makes the trail feel smoother than it is.One of the great things about Xero Shoes is they offer virtually no break-in period for those adapted to minimally cushioned, zero-drop shoes.

The durability in these minimalist trail runners is quite impressive - especially for their weight.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 Over the course of my testing with the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail, I’ve found three key pros that I really like. 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. When it comes to the return policy, we've already mentioned that both the Prio and the Mesa Trail II offer a solid warranty from Xero Shoes. Both models come with a 5,000-mile sole warranty, which gives customers peace of mind about the durability of the shoes.

If you want a barefoot shoe but you don’t it to feel like a barefoot shoe, the Xero Mesa Trail WP offers an optional insole (Image credit: Pat Kinsella) My testing occurred in the Lake Tahoe area of the Sierra Nevada, at altitudes ranging from 6,500 ft to 10,000 ft (1,981 m to 3,048 m). The Xero Shoes Mesa Trail excels as a minimalist trail running and hiking shoe for lighter terrain adventures. This model is lightweight, comfortable, and fairly durable for abrasion resistance. I personally enjoy this model most for my casual hikes with the dogs and flatter trail runs. On top of all this, I found the outsole to be hard-wearing. After 500 miles (805 km) of mixed terrain, the lugs have not measurably worn down. The TerraFlex is twenty dollars cheaper. The Mesa Trail is a new product, while the TerraFlex was updated in the last two years.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.