Z-Trail sandal by Xero Shoes
Lowdown: surprisingly disappointing
After owning my Xero Shoes Z-Trail
sandals for less than a month, I had both of them blow out on a
recent backpacking trip in Grand Gulch, the left foot on Day Two, the
right on Day Four. The same thing happened to both: a small metal
'clip' thingy that attaches the main strap to the back velcro heel
strap simply snapped off. I was able to adapt: the main strap was
long enough that I could run it around my heel in kind of an
old-school huarache wrap, though it was not at all sturdy or tight.
I was excited to see Xeros being
stocked at REI, and though the price there was about $20 more than at
the Xero website, I bought them. They look good: Xero's answer to
sport sandals like Tevas and Chacos, with a way-thinner sole—still
flexible like a huarache, but made of tougher material than their
huaraches: Still bendable, but you can't, for example, roll them up.
Very comfortable for walking around town and looking stylish.
I ran in them, both pavement and trail.
I would be careful running in them on pavement, and if you're running
on pavement you'd be better off just running barefoot anyways, but
the toughness/hardness of the sole made them a little clunky: the
first time I ran on pavement my heels hurt a bit after, but the
second time I really concentrated on not heel-striking. For trail
running they were good: the toucher sole makes them better for
gravel, where even the Xero huaraches can leave my feet a little
battered-feeling.
The Xero claim for the Z-Trail is
“Adventure Everywhere”, and I was hoping they'd be both a running
sandal and something I could take backpacking. So, I took them on a
four-day hike in Canyonlands National Park, then a week later on a
five-day in Grand Gulch, where they blew out—again, after less than
a month.
One of the main ideas for the Z-Trail
seems to be to get away from the 'thong' of the huarache: instead of
a strap or lace between the big toe and the second toe, this new
design instead runs a wider canvas strap across the toes, then
flipping around to go across the top of the foot. I know some people
hate the huarache thong, so they may like that (though I will say I
used to be one of those people, but you get used to the thong, I
swear). I will say that, at least at first, the sandals felt snug and
comfortable, more than the Xero huaraches, though one problem with
the strap across the toes, for my feet at least, was that my little
toes got scrunched and irritated, though this happened more after I
had to adapt the sandals after the blow out.
Another new thing Xero has introduced
is a sort of 'heel cup'. I'm not sure why: if your heel hangs off
your huarache, you should be wearing a bigger size. Maybe it's purely
for looks, to make them look more like a sandal? In any case, what
the 'heel cup' really does is catch pebbles and sand really well, and
make sweeping them out harder.
So if you just want a thin-soled sandal
you can wear around town this summer, with zero-drop and no toe
thong, the Z-Trail is way better than Chacos or Tevas, and even more
comfortable than a Luna sandal (which hurt my heels if I just walk in
them on pavement). But I would not guarantee them to handle any kind
of trailwork. Or to last long. I've been a fan of Xero, and would
still recommend their minimalist running shoes over anybody's, but
the same thing happening to both sandals within two days shows a lack
of quality care.
