Great video. Obvious competence that makes Paul trustworthy. How important. Imagine: you surf for sandals, barefoot, watch videos, go through shopping process, measure your feet, select the size, do all the annoying purchasing process, give some money also, sure, then plan for delivery, wait for delivery, and then, at the end...you get wrong sandals. That's why trustworthiness of reviews means gold for me.

@PaultheBackpacker

Ай бұрын

Do you mean you don't appreciate all of the "I've worn these shoes for 2 hours and now I'll give you a complete review" videos? I'm actually putting together a video for another shoe, review is based on 16 months of wearing them :)

The shoes are awesome to wear. The strapping system gives you all you ever wanted in a sandal. I guarantee you, you will never want to go back to anything else - what I dislike about them though is that the sole is not really flexible and quite heavy. Maybe it's a good compromise for those who want to hike and go on trails but I just want them for places I'm not allowed to be barefoot. I whish there was a lighter version... imagine the sole of a "Wildling Feder" and Z track straps as upper...

Great review thank you and in the rain!

Great review! Thanks so much, really enjoyed it.

Nice video! Thanks for sharing this

I love this review, and the realistic message it brings (from someone who actually wore these items for two years). Minimalist sandals have of course a few drawbacks, but there is so much you get in return. Just received my Z-trails today, and can't wait to try them out!

Excellent review! I so appreciate you sharing your experiences and insights with these bad boys! I ended up going with the Z-trail with a little more cushion since I'll be doing more walking on concrete in addition to hiking. Thanks for sharing with the community. =)

Sneakers, foot cast….I love it. I am slowly transitioning from Altra to sandals. The whole body gets involved. I’m wearing Xero sandals a couple of miles per day. Surprisingly comfortable on a trail. I look for things to step on. I have yet to wear a rucksack while wearing them. Thanks for posting.

Thank you for this review and sticking it out in the rain like a true backpacker! These have definitely been on my list! Once I am cleared to hike again I’ll have to put them back on my shopping list. Glad they hold up to your standards!

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

And my wife loves her Z-trails :) So if you are looking for something thicker she gives those her stamp of approval!

@jaymiiknierum4014

3 жыл бұрын

Paul the Backpacker good to know! Cheers!

great review, thank u

Great review. I'm going on my first 50 mile backpack trip and taking with me for foot wear, xero mesa's, xero naboso sandals & vibram v-alpha's. So many because I wanted to test out which I like for each day's trek. Thanks for bring the attention to the transition that those new to this will need. I also went through the transition with sore and tired feet from years of wearing a "cast" shoe. But now, my feet have strengthened, I've trained my feet following Dr. Emily's & The Foot Collectives exercises and now I'm actually comfortable walking on rocks & roots, even barefoot. All my past plantar issues have gone away because my plantar now has foot muscles to support my feet, not just my plantar. Walking barefoot takes time because in our foot cast, the muscles & ligaments atrophy and need rehabilitation. It takes time but is well worth the transition. Thanks again for keeping the experience real for your followers!

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

There needs to be videos solely focused on just the transition:-) I think too many people try to make the switch too quickly and then blame the shoe for their problems. And then once they have problems from transitioning too quickly, they automatically then believe that they need the cushioning.

Ok, I trust ya! I just pulled the trigger on these. Looking forward to trying them out.

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

They are the perfect "when you want to be barefoot but need something on your feet to be socially acceptable" shoes :)

When I do wear shoes, Xero’s are the only thing I wear!😎👣. Love your passion!

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

This fall I have found it really hard to stay minimalist or barefoot! This is a heavy acorn in Hickory Nut year. They fall, the leaves all fall on top of them, and it was just getting a little bit too painful!

You've convinced me! Buying a pair of these bad boys

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

A delayed response to your comment, but make sure that if you are already not going "barefoot" that you transition slowly. These will work muscles you did not know you had if you only wear cushioned heeled shoes.

@fireum92

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker I've been wearing them daily for 2 weeks now! Totally understand the break in period as my feet were pretty sore after my walks the first week. Now I can't stop wearing them! They're so freeing

I hope your trail name is Big Foot. I recommend sandal hikers try the Naboso trail sandal by Xero to reduce the amount of debris that you *notice getting between your foot and the sandal. The texture isn’t initially as comfortable as a nice leather sandal(love my shamma sandals) but I almost never need to pluck things out of my Naboso Xero’s . Whereas on a smooth footbed I notice every spec.

I have 3 pairs of Xero sandals and have successfully made the transition. Shamma Sandals has a great series videos on how to run in barefoot sandals. The one tip from Shamma that made all the difference for me is stop trying to protect your foot. I have the Veracruz. Doesn’t work well for my D width feet either. The straps pull the Verecruz at an angle under my feet. Which is disconcerting. I have to loosen the straps to make them work. My other Xeros want snug straps. Veracruz is my dress sandal. It is very hard to convince people of how the human foot works. We most have arch support!

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I love that you have a dress sandal :) The Whitins are my "dress shoe." I finally got another pair in solid black that I do not wear out on trails so that that at least my dress shoe was clean!

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Just added the link to the Shamma series in the description for all the videos, thanks for pointing it out.

This is a great video series! I love your comment about standing in the streams! I do that too! I got an early version of the Z-Treks and a pair of neoprene socks as backup footwear for hiking a number of years ago. That combination works well in the snow and slush. They are also my "dress shoes" when worn with black socks. The buckle broke though and I tried to get a replacement from Xero and they wouldn't even sell me a replacement buckle. They wanted to give me a discount on a brand new pair of sandals. So I have a beef with their customer service. I ended up buying buckles on Amazon for a couple dollars and sewing them on and they still work fine. I don't quite trust these sandals for going way in on trails in the Olympic Mountains though as the side straps are made out of a thin material. Day hikes they are great though. All the best, Scott

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Ya know....I was just a little tiny bit hesitant about recommending them. There are enough people out there who have complained about customer service to call it a pattern.

Thanks for the great review. I have both, the Z Trek and the Z Trail. Although the Z Trail has a thicker sole, it is lighter than the Z Trek. I did the same hike with both to test them when I received them. With the Z Trek I had some problems with friction on the ball of my right foot. But I might have misadjusted the straps a little bit. With the Z Trail I didn't have any problem. So far I have worn both regularly but didn't hike much in them. The purpose of buying these were more for leisure and perhaps to use them as camp shoes. But I still stick to my Pies Sucios Simna Sandals as camp shoes as they have an incredible low weight of 4.6 ounces (both together). As an ultralight backpacker, every ounce counts... :) But as a conclusion I can only recommend both Z Trek and Z Trail as the quality of these sandals is incredible, as you mentioned too.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I really amazed that there is so little wear and tear after having them so long. I also experienced the friction, and I think it is when I start over striding. As long as I keep planting my foot underneath my body there is no friction and they are more comfortable.

@ShantiHikes

3 жыл бұрын

That might be an explanation. I am a fast hiker so it might be from over striding. In everyday use I don't experience friction.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

I know it took me until a trip this spring when I finally just slowed down for me to fully feel comfortable in them. Slowed down, took more breaks to just sit at the views, and wasn't racing to get somewhere. I think for the first time ever I just got out of my car and had no final objective. Just decided to hike until I felt like stopping with no mileage in mind. Ended up just being around 12 miles a day, but I certainly enjoyed them just as much as a 20 mile day.

I really like these sandals. Thin, I like the aesthetic, and not too expensive. I found that you really need to play with the straps, though. When I first got them, the fit felt great, until I started walking on rocky terrain and doing uphill and downhill. My feet were way too far back because only then did I realize how loose the strap over the toes was. Once I tightened it up so my foot was more centered, it made a big difference. That's an issue with a lot of the very thin sandals, it's difficult to get the proper fit until you've done at least one good field test. The bigger issue with Xero is the quality. It seems very hit-or-miss. People such as yourself have had the sandals for years without issues, but I've also read of people who have them break after just a few months. So it seems you just almost have to get lucky and hope your pair holds up. For the Z-Trek specifically, seems the first connection where the strap meets the sole is a common point of failure.

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

Huh... I think there's about six or seven pairs of xeros in the house and they've all held up so I guess we got pretty lucky :-)

@drygnfyre

2 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker That's good to hear. It's possible Xero has improved their quality. But I've seen some other reviews of the Z-Trek and it seems when they do break, it's almost always in the same spot.

@3nertia

Жыл бұрын

@@drygnfyre Which spot is that, please?

I like Xero shoes, they typically fit my feet well. But I have narrow feet, and I was sliding around in the Z

@PaultheBackpacker

2 ай бұрын

I have the opposite problem :)

.. I do get blisters. It's the only drawback, especially when going downhill on a rocky terrain, since I put constant pressure on my feet to descend smoothly. Maybe because they are size 12 and size 11 would fit best, or maybe because I need to toughen up the soles of my feet.

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

Try going totally Barefoot and toughen them up quick :-)

Noticed the heel wear you spoke about- makes me think... I think I almost forefoot strike with my xeros, do you initiate your step with your heel? Curious about the different types of strike technique.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

That heel wear might have been from when I first got them??? There is no pushing with your heel, more of a lifting of your foot. Barefoot Running by Ken Bob Sexton I think does the best of explaining the technique. Especially with his description of how it is like using the cadence you would use when riding a bike. The book is cheap used, and I am sure there is some video out there with him explaining it. Also, the word "strike." After reading his book I really thought about it much differently. More like a temporary touchdown underneath my body. Picturing my feet like riding a bike wear there is constant turnover, short steps, under my body, not pushing off but lifting quickly. At any point I feel a little knee quirk coming back, it is an automatic sign that I am "striking" and getting my feet out in front of my body and get the bike analogy back into my head, shorten my steps, make them quicker, place my foot down and lift quick.

Mine broke after a few times wearing them :/ and they were not heat damaged.

Thank u for that great review! I've been thinking about getting some barefoot shoes for a while now. I'm home a lot and barefoot a lot, so do u think I'll need any time to get used to these?

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

That's always a hard question to answer, depending on your age depending on how often you go barefoot or minimalist, a lot of factors come into play as to how long your transition would take. Easiest thing is just to get into them slowly and don't plan a full day sightseeing trip in them :-)

@missmary9950

Жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker Thank you 🌈

Ohhhhmaaannn, I'm blaming what I call "covid confusion" lol. I've been debating forever between the Treks and the Trails, and I thought I would watch that this video again to see what you said about the...uh, "Z Trails"... urrrgh!! So yeah, I have a pair of Z Trails on the way lol 🙄 Oh, well, I'm a goof. 🤡 I love all my other xero shoes, I'm sure I will love them. I'll keep you posted! 🤣

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Z Trails are great, my wife is very happy with hers :-)

I have a pair of Xero Z-Treks and a pair of Earth Runners Circadian Adventure sandals. I have to say I MUCH prefer the Earth Runners! They are thicker (9mm instead of 5mm) but here are some reasons I like Earth Runners Circadians more. First, the Earth Runners are a thong style. Now, I originally had my doubts about them because I hate thong flip flops. But the full on adjustable straps and the back heel strap means my feet don't move around as much as with flip flops. Plus my feet got used to the thong strap over time. "Feet Adjust"! In comparison to the Z-Trek, my forefoot will not tolerate being squeezed even a little so on the Z-Trek I have to wear the front strap pretty loose for me to not get shooting pain from it (too many years stuffing a WIDE foot into regular shoes). The Circadians control motion without squeezing my forefoot. This is important on trails where my feet could be at an angle gripping the side of rocks large and small. Another reason I prefer the Circadians is, as you mentioned in the video that some people have issues with, the slipperiness of the foot bed on the Z-Treks. For me, just sweating a lot makes the Z-Treks unbearably slippery. Mud is even worse. Yes the straps keep me from completely sliding out of the sandal but my foot slides around so much that the straps become very uncomfortable and will start chafing me (maybe because I wear the front strap "roomy"?). This doesn't happen at all with the Circadians. They have a textured cloth foot bed which provides my foot with much more grip. They aren't slippery at all from sweat. They do get somewhat slippery in mud but it's not near as bad as the Z-Treks and the huarache style lacing system allows me to control slippage much better than the painfully compressed forefoot of the Z-Trek. Finally, the Circadians grip wet rocks and roots really good. My wife was wearing her Z-Trails on a recent short backpacking trip and I was wearing my Circadians. She was amazed at how much grip I had on wet rocks in comparison to her. My Z-Treks have ended up staying in the shoe cabinet 95% of the time, losing sorely to my Earth Runners Circadian Adventure Sandals. Oh, one more thing. If you are into the "earthing", aka "grounding" thing the Earth Runners will ground you. But even if you find that gimmicky I would still recommend the Earth Runners Circadian for that textured cloth foot bed and the fact that it won't squeeze the forefoot.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Great comment :-) I just looked at the website quick, they all seem to have a Vibram sole, do you have one that's not so it's good for grounding?

@nomoore

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker The sole is vibram but there is a copper stud that goes through the sole and connects to the thong strap. Then there is a conductive wire woven all through the strap that connects electrically to your foot.

@nomoore

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaulBogush Go to the “Our Story” page and then in the second paragraph click the link for “earth-connected sandals”. Then scroll down near the bottom and it tells about the grounding system of the sandals.

Have you worn the Z Trails and how they differ? Really can't find a great video highlighting the differences between the z-trek and z-trail.

@PaultheBackpacker

Жыл бұрын

I believe it's just the thickness of the sole.

Have you tried a size down? I’m right in between sizes and I ordered both to see which one was better. The smaller size my toes have like a pinky space of room in the front, the larger size my feet have the same room as yours.

@PaultheBackpacker

2 жыл бұрын

I have not tried a size down.

interesting, i just bought mine, and the sole is fairly (seeably) damaged... but I used in concrete, in the city, not for hiking, so that's probably the cause for the sole getting edgy?

@PaultheBackpacker

Жыл бұрын

I have another pair and it seems like they changed the recipe for the rubber in the sole. It has not held up as well as the 1st pair.

Just ordered a pair , I typically wear a 12 us in sneakers , their web site says they run a little large so I went with 11 us , hoping they’ll work what is your experience in sizing? After fully watching your video you basically answered my question, 👍🏾 thanks

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Opps, if you've already read my comment to you that I am deleting it would have made no sense because I thought you're not the comment on a totally different video :-)

@believeinjesus8300

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker didn’t see it !

@believeinjesus8300

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker got my sandals in they feel great , except for my heels both tend to rest naturally on top of the outside edge of the heel cup. I have tried to adjust them but no luck. Any thoughts or suggestions?

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

That's strap in the back needs to get tightened to pull your whole foot forward, that one is probably the key :-)

@believeinjesus8300

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker I tightened it even more then would seem adequate and it really did help a lot . Thank you so much 👍🏾

Now that you have transitioned to minimalist shoes, do you have a problem wearing ‘regular’ shoes on occasion? Does that hurt or otherwise impact your feet? Thanks... am following along and learning.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

Perfect timing on the question based on what I did yesterday... First I am lucky and can get away with sneakers at work. I wore a black pair of very minimalist black Altra road shoes for about 2-3 years and for a bit before lockdown wore the Whitins. The Whitins are usually my go to shoe for shopping, yard work, etc. It is very rare that I wear actual shoes....like to a funeral...and then I have a pair of shoes that I paid a ton for years ago that are extra extra wide that I can get away with. The only time I really don't wear a zero drop minimalist shoe is when I cut wood (we have a wood stove). Yesterday I was chain sawing all day and at the end I said to my wife that I just can't put my feet my workboots anymore and need to figure something out. They just feel awful now. The only reason I can get away with them is because 95% of the time I am just standing. What I really noticed yesterday is how my balance is affected. I was in some thick stuff yesterday and always seemed to be stumbling. Without the ability to feel what is underneath me and the big thick soles it was awful. I think Keen makes some steel toe shoes so I might investigate those. After cutting yesterday I have about a 300 yard walk back to the house and I had to take off the boots and walk back up barefoot :) What is amazing is that I had a job in which I would wear these boot for 10+ hours a day and thought that they were comfortable. What I now realize I thought was comfortable really wasn't. It was just simply better than what I had before it. So I think the short answer is yes :) I am curious about how what is happening with the work at home movement will affect peoples feet! Lots of people working at home bare foot, they might be surprised when their shoe start getting tighter as they have not been bound every day like they usually would have been :)

@ArtOfHealth

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker This is a funny story Paul. I bought a pair of Red Wing brand. The shoe is called "Irish Setter." It is a rugged upper and has held up well. BUT, I kept turning my ankles. There is a thick, high quality sole that forces heel up form which I hate. So I went to a real shoe repair guy and asked him to rip off the entire sole and affix a flat 6mm piece of whatever. 1 week later as I am headed up to get them, all excited for a zero drop real workboot I paid $200 for, he decided to rebuild them the way tbey were before. I am very upset. $80 for repair HIS way. I thought about buying Xero's Feel True Kit and doing it myself at home. Everything is stitched and glued. I have high end shoes like you that I would like to do this with. I will NOT wear anything padded or cushy soled anymore. At 66, staying safe whil| playing in nature or at home is paramount! Thanks

@ArtOfHealth

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaulBogush Maybe you should try slicing off the soles and putting a 5 or 6 mm sole on it sou you are flat. I am fed up with twisting my ankles. Let me know if you do it Paul.

@ArtOfHealth

3 жыл бұрын

@@PaulBogush My wife's uncle lived on Beth More Rd. We used to visit him. Crowley was the last name. Wr have friends nearby there and Northford, Branford and many more.

@PaultheBackpacker

3 жыл бұрын

That's the other side of town :-)

Sooo I normally wear an 8.5 should I get an 8 or a 9?

@PaultheBackpacker

Ай бұрын

I can't make a recommendation :) this is an old video and I have since changed sandals.

This is really useful, thank you. At 6:47 you mention that you use another pair of sandals when trail running on washed out areas with small stones and trees roots. May I ask which pair you wear then and why they're better than these?

@PaultheBackpacker

2 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/e4Zpw6VsadLUhJs.htmlsi=5oGTrP7RvKlDa-Lk ol video but was probably referring to Deliberate Life Sandals, link is to a looooong review :)

@TheEnglishRedneck45

2 ай бұрын

@@PaultheBackpacker Than you very much Paul