Xero Shoes Mesa Trail II – Great Minimalist Shoes

Ryan Humphries

From back squats to the backcountry, the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail II have kept my feet comfortable, strong, stable, and stylish.

Xero Shoes Mesa Trail II Review

If you’re into exercise, science, or maybe even exercise science, you’ve no doubt heard folks talking about the benefits of barefoot training. You probably wouldn’t be reading a review of a barefoot-style shoe if you weren’t 🙂 Personally, the book Born to Run made me rethink what I was putting on my feet. Fun fact: This particular style of Xeros just so happens to be the favorite running shoe of the author of that book, Christopher McDougall.

Why train as close to barefoot as possible?

Great question. Without going too far down this rabbit hole, I’ll make it brief: Humans thrived for hundreds of years without shoes. Granted, we also spent thousands of years without air fryers, bidets, and antibiotics…

So why all the hate on modern footwear?

Well, unlike the awesomeness of the aforementioned items, shoes have likely been more of a disservice than anything else. Each of our feet has 200,000 nerve endings. From an evolutionary perspective, it’s highly probable that’s not a mistake. It’s almost like at some point in our lives, it was important to be mindful of where we were putting our feet.

From high-heeled womens’ pumps to Air Jordans, I think it’s important to remember that ninety-nine percent of shoe companies are focused on fashion and not foot health. They could care less if you get a bunion as long as the shoes sell.

Fortunately for us, (cue the Bob Dylan), “The times they are a changin,” and a few companies are starting to develop shoes that not only conform to how feet are supposed to move but also look cool.

Xero Shoes is that one percent, and they are at the forefront of this movement. While some companies like New Balance and Merrell offer a “minimalist” version of their shoe as an alternative to the rest of their lineup, EVERY pair of Xeros is based on the barefoot philosophy (and science). Our feet were made to move and to feel the ground beneath us. Our toes were made to spread out and not be crammed into a triangle. As Xero founder Steven Sashen likes to say “Let your feet be feet!!!”

I’m not saying that non-barefoot shoes are necessarily bad… just that from an anatomical, philosophical, evolutionary, and scientific standpoint, yeah, they’re not good.

So about these shoes in particular, The Mesa Trail II is the second version of this model. Although I didn’t own the first iteration, I’m told that this model is actually lighter, and more durable than the original. The wide toe bed is reinforced for extra protection, yet they’re still super breathable, balanced, and flexible. The bottom of the shoes also have really solid traction. Side note, just like every pair of Xeros, there’s a 5,000 mile sole warranty.

Although Xero creates shoes for just about every activity (hiking, snow sports, fitness, etc.), one of the coolest things about all of their shoes is that they’re pretty damn versatile. As a gym-owner and coach I’m on my feet for most of the day and I’ve been wearing the Mesa Trail II every day now for a little over a month. My feet (and the rest of my body) feel great.

Previous to this shoe I was wearing the Altra Lone Peaks. While the Lone Peaks have a zero-drop, and a wide toe bed as well, they also sit about an inch above the ground and are super squishy. While this does feel good for a little while, I actually think it was weakening my feet. Remember those 200,000 nerve endings? What do you think happens when we put a 1 inch thick buffer between them and the ground? Well, it definitely doesn’t do anything to strengthen our feet.

Back to the versatility, while the Lone Peaks were fine for doing a lot of things in the gym, for big lifts like the squat, deadlift, or any sort of single leg exercise, I would always have to take them off. While we do encourage our students to take their shoes off for lots of things, I also know that’s not always possible in a big box gym, and it might not even be allowed. Although the Mesa Trail II is engineered for the outdoors, it’s been my new favorite accessory in the training center.

Another fun fact, after an eight week strength-training cycle, I re-tested my back squat and my deadlift wearing my new kicks and I hit a personal record on the squat and matched a personal record on the deadlift from several years ago (I typically perform those lifts barefoot).

Another point of versatility, the Mesa Trail II has a 3.5mm sock liner for a little extra comfort and cushion, however I personally removed mine. My feet are actually two different sizes and my “little foot” had a little more space. Because of that, it created a little more movement with the sock liner. I removed it and had no issues. Side note, I did reach out to the company and they offered to send new insoles which could have fixed the issue as well. Great customer service!

As far as sizing, I typically wear an 8.5, however, after trying a few different styles on, it felt like the Mesa Trail was just a little bigger than some of the others. I opted for a size 8 and it was perfect (especially for my little foot). Most folks find that the Xeros fit true to size, however the company does offer a “free exchange” policy which is pretty rad.

A couple notes if you’re new to Barefoot shoes:

1. I’d personally recommend not jumping into a 12 hour day right off the bat. Put on your new sweet kicks and walk around for a couple hours.

2. Try a few different socks to see if there’s one size that feels the best. Or try no socks!

3. Prepare to be just a little angry with “Big Shoe” for lying to you for your entire life.

4. Enjoy the hell out of your new anatomically and evolutionarily superior shoes!

Ryan Humphries

Growing up in southeast Missouri, Ryan spent most of his days playing in the woods, swimming in creeks, capturing wildlife, and dreaming of adventure. His asthma kept him from playing a lot of sports as a kid, but it didn’t stop him from achieving the ranks of both Eagle Scout and a Black Belt in Taekwondo by the age of 16.