Just a warning if your used to the ultra supportive hiking shoe and mid hike you have to break out the xero sandals. I would recommend to be extra cautious as there are alot of tendon and muscles that are very under utilized in modern shoes that will suddenly have a fire lit under them in minimalst sandals and can easily lead to Injury if your not adapted.

Good video. I got the Xero Z-trek instead of Z-trail. Have you tried them? Z-treks have less cushion and so are more responsive. You really feel like the thin sole is just an extra layer of skin. This is bad if you want ‘protection’, but it’s great if you want to develop foot strength and ankle/foot flexibility. The best protection from foot injuries and falling is to have great, strong, flexible feet. The z-treks (and likely z-trails) allow that. I’m glad to hear you wear the z-trails in your normal life and not just as a camping/river crossing shoe. The z-trek changed my life by giving me immediate feedback of my bad walking form (slapping the ground rather than gently rolling). Wearing these on hills, rocks and dirt paths, i feel contact all over the bottom of my feet, at different places with different pressure, thus evening out the weight distribution and impact. ‘Normal’ shoes basically force an unhealthy repetitive motion and repetitive impact (esp on hard flat surfaces). But the foot evolved for multi terrains and going up and down. The z-trek lets you get that experience while protecting the feet from sharp objects, nails, glass, etc. but walking with these also changes your attention … you can’t (at first especially) just zone out to a podcast while walking. Walking is a deliberate, primal activity where each step can be done in an optimal way. Like rock climbing … you really pay attention b/c risk of falling is a great incentive to get the neurons firing. Walking barefoot or with minimalist sandals force you to pay attention and learn from bad walking form. I now train with a backpack in my z-treks and go up/down hills, rocks, etc. I’m also surprised at how much more comfortable my feet are without socks, even in very cool temperatures. Feet warm up and can easily handle temperatures colder than most people think. But as with the rest of the body, it takes a few minutes walking for them to warm up and acclimate. In places where you know there aren’t poisonous snakes or a bunch of hazards, try hiking with the sandals and no socks. Or even go barefoot. It takes time to build the strength and flexibility, but starting small is how anything can be safely learned. That said, I’m sure your feet are already in much better shape thanks to daily wear of your sandals. Those high-top boots on the other hand… they are not providing ‘support’ but letting your ankles/feet atrophy. They are weakening you and throwing off balance, limiting range of motion. 2 billion years of evolution designed our feet. They don’t need ‘support’ but freedom to be what they are.

I’ve had the exact same sandals for 2 years, just in blue, very happy, super light, have hiked in them not so good over rocks as you feel everything, but way better than anything else.

Great review, thank you for taking the time to inform us all. I'm stoked on mine 😁

I've been wearing these for 4 years! Also for camp and normal wear. Absolutely love putting them on straight after a hike!! Best saddles ever I think! Also recommend 😊

I have a pair and agree 100% Fantastic, light weight sandal for just chucking in the pack.

Definitely true... a pair of Z trail 👣 saved my life while hiking GR 221 here in Spain ... I had to quit at last stretch due to a stiffness of my tendons and intense pain.. tracks are rocky and could not have finished using only them .. these are super light and best choice for those looking forward to shave off extra grams when packing for ultra light trips.. Sunny regards;))

I have a pair of these and use them in my everyday life and while hiking! They’re pretty great. I just need some good Xero hiking shoes next.

Great review. Definitely adding sandals to my hiking pack.

Plus one for the sandals. Have you tried minimalist hiking shoes/boots? Any comments?

Thanks for the thorough review. How do they wear on water crossings?

What do you mean in case of an emergency?, you can use them sockless and as an only choice for hiking ,there are people running ultramarathons in this sandals ,I’ve read a comment saying it’s a piece of rubber with straps on ,have you had a close look and see how much work and the quality of the materials involved in that pair of sandals ?

You have a really strong s sound that sounds sharp to listen to

Wasnt able to find a pair of sandals before my trip, all the ones I saw in the shops were heavy, so I bought the lightest ones I could find: *Birkenstock Arizona Essentials* (100% eva plastic) ... they might be 300 grams a pair though (EU size 45). Still not sure if I will bring them, since I am going to hike 350 km, but I do like the idea of having something to wear in case my feet need a change.

Great review

How do they hold up to getting wet? Would they be good for paddle boarding or water sports? Thanks for the review.

Great review!

Hi there!! Did the rubber band that holds the strap ever break off for you? ☺️

Thanks for the great review. I’m thinking of getting a pair of these but am just wondering how supportive they are for flat feet? 😢

Nice little review Hayley 😊 Will check the website out, might find something I'd like to try out for camp / backup hiking footwear 😉

FOSTERS!...Australian for take may freedom..please!

I have a question, and it might be a dumb question. Here where I live in the SE USA, we have a venomous snake called the copperhead (not the same venomous copperhead you have in Australia though). In the summer here, our copperheads tend to be out at night hunting. Many people here get bit by them at night by stepping on them in the dark, such as on patios and driveways, or in their lawns. I would therefore be concerned about wearing sandals around a campsite here in the summer at night. Are the venomous snakes in Australia only out or mostly out just in the daytime? Thanks.

Stubbed toes would rule out Sanford for me 🙈 Also what mic setup do you use for your piece to camera clips? Very crisp!

They need to have thicker soles. For any kind of water or mud, the toe gets suctioned down and you end up walking over the sandle which bends under 180 degrees. Kind of useless actually.