Xero ShoesMen's Scrambler Low Barefoot Trail Run Shoe

This is the first pair of shoes I’ve been able to wear all day and not end up in pain. I have plantar fasciitis and usually have the change shoes several times during the day to avoid pain. I walked around Disneyland all day long in these and my feet were tired at the end of the day, but zero pain! After years of orthotics and different shoes, I think I’ve finally found something that actually works for me.

My favorite hiking shoes! I used them for 2 weeks hiking everyday in SoCal then straight to Hawaii & they were perfect in all conditions. I've now had my pair for 2 years and they have held up extremely well. I love my Xero shoes.

Could be a little wider in the forefoot area would be perfect.

First, I’ll say that I love the concept and fit of these shoes, and I think the stack height offers a perfect amount of foot protection for the types of terrain I encounter in Connecticut. I use these for trail runs up to about 1.5 hours in duration. I do use higher stack shoes for longer runs although I think the Scramblers would be fine. The toe box on the Scrambler is also extremely comfortable.The major failing of this shoe is the Michelin rubber compound on the sole. It simply offers no grip on damp rocks and roots that I frequently encounter in Connecticut’s humid climate. The slipping is downright treacherous. I have run the same trails in the same conditions with great confidence using Vibram-soled Hoka Speed Goats and Topo Pursuits. The Scrambler performs so poorly in these conditions that I've relegated them to casual wear and groomed gravel trails, which is a major disappointment because they otherwise feel so good when I run in them. I’ve had similar issues with the sole of my pair of Prios on my tiled kitchen floor on a humid day. They’re like ice skates. Frankly, with traction this bad, I don’t care about the 5000 mile sole warranty if running 5 miles is not fun.The second issue is the outer mesh material. It seems to be an inferior quality material for this application. The toe of the shoe creases in a linear fashion across the metatarsals during the stride push off, and creates two “points” at the first and fifth metatarsal. The mesh at these points is wearing prematurely. There should not be any such wear on a $150+ pair of shoes with only 100 miles on them. This mesh also lets in a lot of trail dust in dry conditions. Despite such an open weave mesh, the shoe drains quite poorly after a stream crossing because the plastic material around the base of the upper creates a bathtub, with no functional locations for water drainage except possibly one spot near the rear of the shoe. I’ve done full immersion stream crossings with my Hokas and Topos and they drain out within minutes. The Scramblers leave my feet feeling squishy for the remainder of the run.Lastly, the laces are clunky thick and make an awkwardly large double-knot.In summary, I think the Scrambler is a great concept shoe but needs refinement to justify the price. Honestly, I would look past the other shortcomings of the Scrambler if the traction was awesome. As it stands, I won’t be purchasing any more Xero shoes until traction is addressed. There are simply too many great running shoe options out there.

I’ve bought some similar shoes from vivobarefoot and find these are more comfortable and somehow more ‘barefoot’ even though they have a decent lug on the bottom.. It’s as if I’m not even wearing shoes! Taking the sole out does make them even more barefoot which I like. They are so comfortable and I never get blisters anymore on long runs or hiking. This is a brilliant all round ‘do it all’ shoe and the Michelin tread is high quality and has great traction. Highly recommend this shoe.

I ordered these shoe because I have a wide foot, and wanted a good walking shoe. I’ve had them a few months now and they are absolutely falling apart. The mesh is coming apart in the same places in both shoes. Pretty disappointing considering the cost.I wouldn’t buy these again.

Excellent minimalist trail runners. Low stack, wide toe box, and firm but grippy outsole rubber.

Light, protective, grippy, agile.Ex pro baseball player- long boarder nowI have to wear these shoes every morning so I can feel the individual muscles and thus creating stability for the rest of the day.