I have been wearing xero shoes exclusively since 2016. I have purchased more than 10 pairs during that time because I love them so much. My wife says I have a xero shoe addiction. I have only had a problem with one pair and I emailed xero and had a replacement pair on my front porch within a week. I’m in construction and I wear them on the job site exclusively. I had excruciating back pain for the better part of a decade and since making the switch it has melted away. I’m not your typical flat-soled guy either. I’m not a runner and I’m 50 pounds overweight. I’m fatter now than when I wore regular shoes and my back is better than ever. Xero shoes changed my life.
I love most everything about them except durability. I'm on my 3rd pair which are their (supposedly updated ) Terraflex II. After 3 weeks they were already splitting at the sole/uppers. As far as flat soled shoes and your back, I couldn't agree more! Soft, comfy shoes have made us soft and weak to the point that we have back and knee problems and have cone to actually think of arch supports as sometimes good for us. In fact, generally speaking, the perceived need for arch supports is proof positive that someone's foot has either never fully developed a foundation of strength or their foot has weakened to the point their arches have collapsed!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 yeah they’re kind of cheaper ended but it makes it easier to buy because even if they were higher strength they’d be super expensive and the soles would wear out just so to being flat
This is the most respectful review. Didn’t step on Xero shoes toes much. But got straight to the point. As someone who is looking to buy new hiking shoes , this was beneficial ! Thank you
@@lifeinthemiddle55 Thanks for the honest review. I had a pair of Xero Prio shoes and used them for light hiking. After only two months of intermitent use, the sole fell apart. With the benefit of hindsight, I think the hard, arid terrain where my hikes took place was a little too much for the admittedly thin sole of my Xeros. Since then, I've been carefully using another model from the same manufacturer (the Ridgeway Mesh Low), with better results. So far, the shoes have held up.
And neither experience invalidates the other! It seems, based on my experience as well as others, that it is hit or miss with Xero shoes durability. Please don't be offended that my experience was different than yours!
For most shoes I have owned so far, it's usually the soles that wear out first and but for Xeroshoes, it's the opposite. They nailed the sole durability, but their uppers and glues are just really underwhelming. They actually do a lot of warranty replacement for their shoes, and with all that lost money for replacement, makes me ponder why they don't just design the shoes to be more durable so they won't have to replace their shoes all the time.
Hi Ryan. Great review! I have to say that I have used the Xero running shoes (HFS model) for workout and running and am completely satisfied. However I do realize that each shoe is supposed to be designed for a particular purpose so I respect and thank you for your comments on these shoes. Although I don't typically do much hiking or backpacking I'll definitely keep your experience in mind for future reference.
I am convinced this will happen to every Zero shoe. I have had 4 versions and multiple copies of Xero shoes and the same issues shown here constantly occur. Granted, Xero has really good customer service and a 2 year manufacture warranty. So you can almost always have your shoes replaced.
I got a pair of Prio All-Days and loved them but within a couple of weeks the sole on one separated at the toe and heel. I notified Xero and they replaced them immediately. My second pair held out longer but one of the heels separated a bit after a few months. Rather than return them again I fixed it with a little dab of Shoe Goo and they’ve held up fine since then. Fingers crossed.
@@hammill444 shoe goo is actually recommended by most shoe repair professionals as an excellent solution to most problems experienced with constructed shoes. There are lots of factors that go into shoe making and repair, but delamination is a hard-to-prevent, easy-to-fix situation. Xero shoes tries to limit the glue used in construction because it isn't as flexible as the sole is, and sometimes mistakes are made, glue is applied too thin, ect. But maintenance is required for all types of shoes, regardless of construction, and using shoe goo is perfectly normal and acceptable.
Finally someone that addresses their durability. I bought a pair of boots for my middle schooler in 2019 and they didn’t last. I was very disappointed for paying a decent amount of money. At the same time. I bought vivo shoes in 2019 and I’m still wearing them. I wear them daily, occasionally I’ll skip them if there is snow or lots of rain, otherwise they are on my feet. They are starting to look worn out, but the show overall is whole. Now I want to get some for my son, but just not sure about xero since I had that bad experience. All video reviews seem to rave about them. As much as I’d like to give them another chance, my experience with vivo has been so good that maybe it’s worth sticking to what has worked (vivo).
I think Vivo are a great option, their only downside being the price. Even in a world of "you get what you pay for," they're still at the top of their category!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 they are expensive. I used to have a lot of shoes there for a while ( dress up for work, outings, etc), but I’ve also been know to wear shoes until they can’t go anymore. Now I’m back at a point in my life where having one multipurpose pair, is so liberating. Less clutter, less choices 😄. If we want to stretch it, we can add a little dress up pair, and some sandals for summer/water areas. The ones I got from vivo where the sort of water looking shoes. I can’t remember what they were called. So very multipurpose, and washable. They don’t have them anymore. I haven’t tried other brands besides xero and vivo. For the durability of vivo (so far) and as little as I like to buy shoes, it has been a good investment so far. Not entirely relevant, but for some reason, I also really dislike xero’s website design haha.
@@balbibou yep they just went up a little more on the usa side 160 for a pair of primus lite 3 or like 157 euro. so crazy for once something is higher in usd then euro lol but thats mainly because most other currencies have dropped compared to the usd
I think they are still a growing company. I loved my mesa tails by xero I invested in their hiking boots they didn’t fall apart in my Grand Canyon trip but I did get about 3 blisters 🥺
Yup, we all hate to complain. I have your Xero Shoes. Mine are green too. I hike in nasty situations. Rain too. No glue in the seams has let go. Six months in. I also use them doing hard work on the property. Amazing stability. They were drenched in the rain three days ago. I just set them high up and dried out nice. No curling or nasty smells from the insoles. I am extremely pleased. I know shoe manufacturing. It is very possible that your were a part of a bad glue batch. I feel your frustration. I bought two pairs of Merrells. Customer service said bring them back to the retailer 25 miles away. I sent them pictures of the cloth fraying like crazy and the entire shoe coming apart from the sole. All within one week. I have four pairs of Xeros. Nothing falling apart yet. Thank you for your Feral Review!
Haha....you're welcome! And you may be right about the glue. Stay tuned for an updated review in the future. Xero is sending me a pair of their Terraflex II to try out. They say the soles are welded on the new model. Fingers 🤞!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 That would be great. I would think the welding is heat pressured together. I checked mine closer this morning and it does appear that the material is cracking ànd the sole is coming apart from the sole. Plus, they do slip on the roots of trees when damp during a hike. Walking down a damp walk is a slippery risk as well. The sole seems more plasticky than say a Vibram. The crappy Merrells do not slip. Take care.
@@ArtOfHealth other than durability, the slippery soles are my only performance complaint. Like when I see algae covered rocks or slick roots it induces a minor pucker factor....lol.
I’ve loved my Xeros for hiking the Colorado Trail. With all brands, there are cycles of manufacturing with different suppliers and materials that aren’t consistent. But I also have just bought another pair of Whitins, not because my current pair is failing but because I want another pair as a backup in case the company goes away. Three years and going strong.
I've always wanted to try Xero but I'm cheap and had started off with the Whitin type Amazon barefoot and water shoes and I love them. This vid is example of if it working for me I'm not missing out by not paying for a well known name. Though if Xero or one of these companies can come up with a hoops version of barefoot, I'll pay to try it. Thanks for your review. So great to hear people seeing the value in the Whitin's. To me it's such an affordable way for people to get into the barefoot shoe game.
I understand that products produced here cost more to make. Things start looking even crazier when you price the Vivobarefoot brand, which is difficult to justify with their $270ish price. The Whitins may not be the most stylish, but they are great quality.
Appreciate the candid review and story with your experience. I was about to pull the trigger on a pair of Xero's but you mentioned Whitin and I already got a pair so thanks for the reminder that I got a solid pair of shoes! Keep on treking!
Had a couple pairs of Xeros never had any problems. Only pair that died on me were a pair of their Hanas, but that was after 3+ years of fairly heavy wearing. Did a 7 week holiday around Europe with a pair of their HFS, walked 30-50km per day, no issues. I don’t hike so am not sure if that puts them under different stresses… haven’t tried any of the hiking / trail variants…
Absolutely love my bright blue Whitins, tread is starting to fade but that is because I have used them for literally everything ( workouts, hiking, trails, running on roads & sidewalks etc).
I think xero are as minimalisty as the barefoot shoes get as far as ground feel and everything else we look for in barefoot shoes. As such, while I'm no mechanical engineer, I'm not surprised they don't hold up as well under aggressive hiking use cases.
The other shoe in the vid is actually slightly more minimalistic. Thinner sole and insole. They have more miles on them while wearing a backpack and shoe zero signs of wear thus far. It seems to me that regardless of whether a high stack comfy shoe or a minimalist shoe, they could be manufactured to the same level.
I think it's because the cheaper ones has "Cup" type sole fused with the upper. While in xero shoes all sharp rocks, branches and other stuff would rub against the fabric and treads.
I have two pair of xero shoes the Prio I have had a year no issues I did have to buy a new insole for $7 and they feel like new. I just received the Zelen and wore them 2 days now. I work in furniture and walk 10 to 12 miles a day at work on concrete.
I’ve had similar experiences with both brands. I only walk and run in them, no trail running. The Xeros started delaminating after a couple months of daily wear. I gorilla glued them to try to make do but then other parts of the shoe would delaminate. I then bought a Wittin in a similar style and have had zero problems for almost a year of wear. I bought a different style from them a few months later with similarly great results. The only bummer with Wittin is that there aren’t many styles or colors, but I’m not planning to go back to Xero.
I just got the Terra flex but have not hiked in them. Hopefully they can hold. I have 2 other pairs of xero shoes and have been very happy with them that I use for everyday use. So far so good. Sorry about your experience
I have seven pairs of their shoes and 3 of the sandals. The Teraflex 2 is the only dud in the bunch. They feel a size smaller than all of the others in the same size and the lugs are so pronounced and spaced that they become uncomfortable. Thanks for the review!
I had a similar issue with the Prios from Xero Shoes. Granted I wore them for everything, I only ever have 1 or 2 pairs of shoes at a time so I definitely got my money's worth. The soles just kept separating but they fulfilled the warranty on them twice! Worth the money in my opinion.
In theory any minimal shoe from ebay to a top brand, there should not be any difference because its a shoe that should just basically protect your feet enough to run, walk, hike, etc. Because the purpose is have your feet muscle become stronger and adaptive to your environment, the point is not for the shoe to be comfortable to wear but for you to become a custom to not having all these padding on your feet. If you watch people from other countries that don't wear shoes for different reasons they do not complain about how they are not comfortable or can't move because of not wearing shoes when they run, walk, play, etc. The point would be not to wear any shoes if these type of shoes is what people are looking for.
Super Interesting! I wear Terra Flex for golf, and I play A LOT, and they're fine. BUT I do have the PRIO all-day waterproof ones too, that I wear for wet golf, quite a lot less, and the soles on one are coming away. Didn't think about it before...
I have the been wearing the WHITIN shoe like the one you were showing in black/black for 10 months now in the gym on runs, mountain biking and on weekend errands to the store or whatever and these things hold up well! I was weary as well as they were made in China but I must say I have not had any issues with them. No tears or anything. I actually have been waiting for them to break to give myself an excuse to buy another pair. Because I go barefoot in them 99% of the time I keep them fresh with foot powder because they make my feet sweat a lot. Then I occasionally put the inserts in the washing machine to wash out the powder and dead skin build up and they are like brand new again. I highly recommend these shoes for the durability and price.
I'm a 3500-4000 mile per year trail/mountain runner and have thousands of miles across various Xero shoes/sandals and never experienced a failure. That said, I wouldn't be confident enough to wear them in the Sierra or a rip across Grand Canyon and back. I'd want/need something more durable and more protective in case of a bad toe strike.
I started on the zero drop train about 2 years ago. I've only had Lems and the Whitten brand you mentioned. I just want to attest to the durability of the Whitten brand. Granted there are about 4 or 5 brands on Amazon that use that same sole but I wore them about a year everyday and used them to summit Humphreys peak in Arizona still in great shape. The lems "9-5" shoe is a durable comfortable shoe if you work in an office.
Lems are good too. I've been rocking a pair of them since last November and they're holding up without issue. They are zero drop but anything but a minimalist shoe. They're fairly thinly padded and for me I've found them a perfect balance between feeling the ground and not wearing your feet out on trail.
I'm obsessed with my Whitins. I bought them on a whim and walked probably 30 miles in a few days on a trip and my feet have never felt better. The price point is amazing too.
I've had a bad experience with Xero Shoes in the past as well, unfortunatelly. The sole on one pair (not sure about the exact model, but it's similar to yours) started to separate from the shoe in the front after few weeks of just casual use. The second pair (sandals) snapped at the spot where the strap was attached to the sole. It happened when a small branch got stuck in between my foot and the strap, but only a light force was enough to snap it. But to be fair, those sandals had served me well for many months prior.
You're sharing your direct experience; that's honest and fair.. and good fellow-hiker support :~) I wonder how the Whitins have held up? After studying and considering for a few months I bought the Vivobarefoot Forest ESC boots for wet/mud/snow-capable property/field chores and hiking. I chose them 'cuz they're leather and have luggy, stitched-on soles. I treated them with Sno-Seal (an old favorite natural beeswax waterproofing) before winter; I've been able to use them in every condition I wanted them for and appreciate them more every time I use them.
This is a great video… I have about eight pairs of xero shoes, and the only pair that has fallen apart on me is the TeraFlex. And I have not even worn them that much. All my other zero shoes have held up very well.
Thank you, I feel it's important to attempt to be as objective as possible when reviewing something or some place. Give'em the facts, they'll decide on their own!
I've been wearing their "casual" style shoe for work (I work in kitchens and am on my feet all day long). I have been wearing them everyday for about 6 months now, and they have been absolutely fantastic. Aside from having some food and minor stains from work, they still look straight out of the box. I'm now wondering if I can wash them or how to do so. I love them and will be buying more. I've also been eyeing splay athletic shoes for this summer. Good review and info. I'm really liking my whitins.
Thank you, I'm glad you found the video useful! You can wash your shoes in a regular wash cycle. You do want to refrain from drying them as the heat will degrade the glue. Just machine wash, spin cycle, amd lay them over one of your hvac vents to dry.
You should go barefoot for the spring, summer, and early fall, and then try going into the fall some more if you want to push it, but don’t if you don’t want to. But then again, Idk what the climate is where you live. You’ll just have to progress your skin toughness at first.
Just bought a pair for my dad. Giving them to him tomorrow. They didn't have the ones I wanted again so maybe I future. But after watching this, I'm starting to 2nd guess. Gonna have my dad test b4 I purchased my pair now.
love my whitin shoes, first pair of barefoot shoes ive bought. spend 170 on the xero xcursion waterproof boots for them to fall apart, break and leak within hours of my first use walking through wet grass
ive had Xeros for many years now several pairs actually and my experience has been nothing but positive. I appreciate the review though as you are using yours way more heavily than I am but I've had 4 pairs of hana's and they last longer than any other shoes I have purchased. granted not the same model shoe and not the same usage
love xero shoes, but ive had this exact issue. the shoes are insanely comfortable. the soles on my first pair of prios from several years ago are still fine. the uppers on everything but the water shoes have also held up (i went on multiple long hikes with the water shoes because they were so comfortable and they got chewed up by twigs ... still use them for yard work). overall, they nailed the uppers and lowers. its just keeping them together thats the issue!
I've just bought my 6th pair of Xero shoes and plan on buying another soon. No problems at all. Have had issues with other brands though, that made me return some that were new and sell some that were used. Xero are the best barefoot shoe company and they're always improving design and durability with new models.
Hopefully they apply the improvement you speak of to the Terraflex! I went through 2 pairs of v1 and them they sent me their updated and "improved" v2. The v2 is an improvement but is still failing the same way as both v1 I had.
I know you said you couldn’t get any other brands but if you can get your hands on vivo tracker FG’s, I find them to be awesome. I wear them for (domestic construction) work where I don’t need capped boots and so far they hold up great and my God, they’re comfy!
I had this Shoe and it felt really nice wearing it and stepping into it for the first time, reeealyy good, but the Quality of the Sole is not good. My Shoe broke after 3 Hikes. Within is actually amazing, i wear them at Construction Work for 2 Years and they still hold up.
Thanks for your honest feedback. I was looking at Xero for shoes to wear at work. They may hold better at my workplace since it's not as intense as backpacking in the mountains. I may not get Xero but I'm still searching for the perfect everyday/all-purpose barefoot shoes for me.
@@Sienn0 I own 4 pairs. Love them all. What are you looking to use them for? I don't have primals.. for hiking I use Altras. However I think the primals look great.
@@Sienn0 for casual wear, I really like the Chillums. Super comfy, and I like the minimalistic style. The primals would also be a good choice, I think they are pretty popular, I just can't vouch for them personally. But if they are anything like the other Lems I have purchased, they will be great.
Thank you for this review. My husband is looking for a good pair of barefoot shoes. I had a bad experience with Xero’s customer service a couple of years ago when I tried to return a pair of sandals that didn’t fit and I refuse to deal with them again. I was glad to learn about the Whitins and will suggest them to my husband.
I guess it’s immaterial now…two pairs of TerraFlex showing that wear? Bad batch? I haven’t a clue, but I certainly understand your reasoning…and disappointment. I own a pair of Whitins…..I know this will sound shallow, but I can’t get over the goofy fake molded toes. I still wear them on RailTrail run-hikes with my dog….and they are lasting pretty well. I also own a pair of Altra Lone Peaks, which I have Section Hike backpacked the AT in. And I also own a pair of Xero Prios….and they seem to be doing pretty well, but I only wear the Prios when are running. Good review, amigo….to the point, and supported by your “real world” experience.
The xero 360s have been pretty durable. I have had some other models and they weren't as durable. I'm pretty heavy on my feet so I've been surprised the 360s have held up so well.
This was my expeience with 2 pairs of Xero shoes back in 2018. The are simple not constructed with high quality materials. I loved the fit and look compared to other brands but the they fell apart quickly.
After about 8 months using my prios from xero shoes most of the seams are coming undone and the inside of them has fallen out 😂 they are made in china and I was very disappointed. Oh and barely ever used to me outside it’s just my kitchen pair.
Sorry to hear you've had a similar experience. I've contacted the company directly and they seem to cling dearly to "we rarely experience defects in our shoes." Meanwhile I'm on my third pair (second replacement) and they're doing the same thing.
I'm 235lbs, and my Xero HFS shoes are holding up so far *fingers crossed*. Granted I mostly using them for trail running and walking. No bouldering or steep descents.
I wanted to give barefoot style shoes a try to see if they would help my ankle rolling problem. I've been wearing a pair of Xero Mesas all summer. I wear them as kick around sneakers all day and for day hiking. Haven't rolled my ankle once. Plus my slight knee twinge has cleared up. I notice my hiking speed has increased since retiring my hiking boots. The Mesas have held up well for the last 3 months, guessing they have about 75 miles on them.
I have a pair called the "prio suede" I think, Maybe they've upped their quality control since you made this video but I used them all winter, and our winters are DESTRUCTIVE on footwear with all the salt and ice, slush, etc... Held up fine and I've been using them on trails, concrete, while driving, everywhere except work where they make us wear steel toes...
This video just came up on my feed so I had a look. I then inspected my own Xero shoes. I only really use them around the flat when I'm doing knee mobility exercises and I've noticed mine are also coming apart at the seams! Only had them 3 months too. That's disappointing. They feel amazing to wear though.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 i have a question is vivo better like when u wear the overall comfortability etc and sole like i mean idk i have never tried minimalist shoe but gonna try vivo as i use injinji socks and honestly they are really hard to wear with typical shoes like nike adidas + i hate high heel drops even 5-8mm feels bad so i would definitely prefer barefoot feel i assume as i like it when i am barefoot in my injinji socks so is vivo really good?or xero is better i mean comfortability wise and barefoot feel wise which actually wins?as i mostly want durability dont wanna go around buying a shoe again and again tbh i prefer to use my shoes for a long time also is there any differences like major difference in all minimalist shoe or like the differences are there but minimal in general and its more about durability?it would be great if u could answer these questions bro
@@gamersforlife3440 I can't opine on the Vivo as I've never worn them. I can say that they get great reviews, but they are very expensive. I theory, minimalist shoes should all be the same, in reality they're very different. How much traction the soles provide on precarious surfaces is a huge factor for me and where many manufacturers fall short, in my opinion. The durability is also a big deal as outlined in my video. It seems, based on other viewers comments on this vid that other models of Xero seem to hold up very well. The Terraflex and Terraflex II are hot garbage.
I've had the same issue actually with a couple different sneakers (Prio and 360) with the sole separating, and the company knows about the issue as the founder has addressed it in a live video, but his excuse was that this is a common issue in the shoe industry... but to me that was a cop-out. I've never had this issue happen this quickly and on multiple pairs. I still love Xero shoes and will continue to buy from them because they're very comfortable and the delaminating issue doesn't occur on every pair I've owned. I wonder if there's a chance they don't want to use what they consider to be non-environmentally-friendly adhesives and opt for "biodegradable" adhesives if such things exist, and those alternative materials typically wear out much faster in general and are ironically more energy-intensive to produce than the conventional material.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 Yeah very true, it does have the same energy as that excuse. I really think they just don't want to use typical adhesives in the shoe industry because they think they're more harmful, but the quicker peoples' shoes break, the more waste is produced!
I bought a pair of xero shoes last month, they came with a defect in the front, I sent an email some weeks ago, and until today I haven't received a response. They don't want to know, the support service is non-existent. It was my first and last order from them.
I agree sort of lol. I had the same problem with the xero shoes hfs and bought the whiten and have worn them for 2 winters now and love them for winter shoes. I do however still absolutely love my xero shoes z trail sandals for the rest of the year.
I’ve had 3 pits that fell apart and two of them wore through the sole. Their customer service was great and replaced them… but horrible quality and not worth the hassle.
My Xero Prios fared pretty identically to yours. I waited a while before reaching out to them, and when I did they never even bothered to respond. Poor quality product + poor customer service. It’s a shame, because like you, I found them some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve tried. They were my first minimalist shoes and I found Mr. Sashen’s “barefoot” videos highly informative and thought-provoking.
Damn, not the review I wanted to hear but needed for considering my first barefoot shoe. Whitin is very enticing with price except they’re a Chinese company. That’s an automatic disqualification. Do you have an USA companies you suggest? I was considering Xero or Lems
I have considered others. The one's you mention as well as Vivobarefoot. The Vivo's are crazy expensive and are based in the UK (I believe but not 100% certain). New Balance makes a real decent shoe that almost fits the barefoot bill, the Minimus 10V1. They are very minimalist but have a 4 or 5 millimeter drop. Other than that, all I've found are Chinese based companies. Good luck to you, and let me know what you end up with!
I bought a pair of Xero shoes about a month before a trip. They dug into my ankle so badly that I got bruises on my ankles. I couldn’t wear them. Something felt wrong with the way my foot was rotated in the footbed. I complained and they didn’t do anything to fix the problem. My go to minimalist shoes are Lems, but I also like Vivobarefoot too.
I copped the vivo tracker forest Esc. They were really truly broken in after a 100 miles and have been my hiking companion for another 1000 miles approx. and aside from a couple of branch scuffs they pretty much like new. This will be the first winter in them though so if you are looking for durability grip and anklesupport, these are likely te rally the dream for hiking!
Is it possible you aren't properly fitted? or is it possible your feet may have a different shape than most? or could it be the way you walk/gate? Not trying to be a jerk but maybe there is some other variable that is contributing to the failure besides only the shoe? I can't believe a company like Xero would have widespread results at what seems like very little duration and still be in business. Your wife hikes with you? why not both get the same pair and compare after doing the same hikes, the same distance over the same time frame? and see if her results are different? Cheers
Thanks for watching the video. As a backpacker, properly fitted shoes are a must. You would only make the mistake once of humping a 40lb pack with ill fitted shoes. I own a pair of Altra Lone Peaks that have hundreds of miles on them thru everything imaginable, mud, snow, desert, countless river crossings. The soles are almost wore completely thru and the uppers tho look old don't have so much as a stitch out of place. It shouldn't matter what you're doing in/with a shoe, they should wear out, not rip out. I'd rather not waste any more money to attempt to disprove what I already know to be true. Take a minute to read thru the comments here and you'll find that many others have had similar experiences, especially with the Terraflex. I'm currently on my third pair of these (second replacement) and they are splitting in the exact same place and these are even the (improved) Terraflex II. Mostly gym usage as I no longer trust these shoes in the backcountry.
I love my Whitins! I’ve been using the reagular and trail runners for 4 years and they are great. Luckily I don’t care how they look fashion wise lol. I want to get some Xero Alpines for winter though. Anyone have any experience with them?
I have the same TerraFlex and they have the same splitting where yours did. But I've done so many miles of backpacking and hiking with a 30+ pound paraglider on my back that I'm personally not bothered. Although the outer "leather" is split there is no hole so they are still perfectly wearable, just not pretty - they are now my dirty paint splattered work shoes for the yard. I would say a couple of things about this problem: Firstly my experience is that Xero is 100% behind their guarantee - I've used it a couple of times now for a defective shoe and prematurely worn sole on sandals. Secondly I feel like the TerraFlex was a bit of an experiment and the sole to upper connection isn't really made for backpacking with a heavy load or use where there's a ton of sideways movement - like on a very rock trail where your foot is often not flat. I'm now backpacking in their 360s and love them. I have a second pair for scrambling that's a half size up. They are designed for cross training and have excellent multi-directional grip - almost as good as the fancy "Approach" shoes climbers use. The sole wraps up quite a bit higher around the uppers, not as much as the Whitin you showed, but almost. So far the only noticeable wear on them is the mesh effect around the uppers has ripped in a couple of places but that is with substantial abrasion on the trail and it is 100% cosmetic and barely noticeable. The Whitins look interesting and priced to sell. Not sure I love the style but that's really not my main concern when I'm outdoors! Thanks for the video and hike on!
They definitely stand behind their guarantee, although the return process leaves something to be desired. I'm now on my 3rd pair (they sent their updated Terraflex II to try out) and sadly they started splitting in the same place after just a few weeks. No pack, 10 or so miles of day hikes and just gym use. Super disappointed.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 that's a drag. I assume you don't have some freakishly wide feet? Even so they really shouldn't split like this. I know all their shoes are manufactured overseas but I don't know what their QA cycle is like. I had an offer to be in some early access group but I'm unsure if that was to test the shoe or just get early reviews out.
I have bought six or seven pairs of xero shoes and my experience has been completely opposite of yours I have had one pair for 3 years and you can tell they've been worn but they still are comfortable with with I believe much life left in them.😊😊 I have been happy with all of their shoes. I do think they are a little pricey but I think they're worth it
Yep, Xeros are very poorly constructed. No QC whatsoever. It's unfortunate, because they're unbelievably comfortable. My favorite and least favorite shoes at the same time. I'm actually having much better luck with the Terraflex after giving up on the Mesa Trails(2pr, 93 and
Are not vivo similarly comfortable?differences should be minimal bro i mean i really dont understand how can these shoe be less or more comfortable the soles are basically like minimalist no?except yes rough and cheap materials used can make a difference i agree on that but it should be technically minimal and not huge i think ?
I could have written the same reply. I love them so much for their comfort, but I dislike them so much for for their lack of durability. Plus recently I bought one pair of their most expensive trail sandals on sale, and they are less comfortable that the very very cheap ones I bought a few years back ... The sole is falling a part only after a few miles!
Great information. I'd say it's a no brainer and they exaggerate the toughness of the shoe. I do not believe they last like they say. IMO should be used for weigh training, (jogging but probably light work and knowing the limitations, that it will probably wear lol) And for Feet Correction. I've been wearing really crappy shoes for too long and I believe it's causing issues that hard to notice and now I am noticing. I will be ordering the Prio Soon. And hopefully my results are good. But this is great for calling them out on their claim. They shouldn't claim its so and so and can't last and falls apart. I don't think this should be used for any kind of hiking.
You nailed it! Even based on most of the comments here, the folks who seem to have the best luck are the one's who are using them for lighter activities. If they ever get their toughness/quality issue solved, I'd be happy to purchase again!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 yeah Definitely. Ordering the Prio Cardinal Red now. I think they have other versions for you to try. Maybe good for UA-cam algorithm on your side. Excursion Fusion & Hiker Fusion. They look beefier. Terraflex has no business with it's claims. Alpine I think is winter. I just want to justify the $95 on my end. I got some sick Suede Nike High tops in the past Highly discounted. So I do have decent shoes. But been using crappy everyday memory foam trash. That I believe is doing damage to my body.
@@1XSTEALTHTWINTURBOX1 I'll definitely look into them! As far as your feet, strong feet are something you never really knew you needed till you have them. On that note Xero has their game down with truth as far as outlining what comfy negatively do to your feet. The transition is tough, but once you're there you never look back. Barefoot shoes have also alleviated my low back pain from degenerative discs.
I've now gravitated towards Lem's. Zero drop, wide toe box, lightly padded. Not padded enough to where you don't receive feedback from the trail tho. Definitely on par with Altra.
I have been wearing xero shoes exclusively since 2016. I have purchased more than 10 pairs during that time because I love them so much. My wife says I have a xero shoe addiction. I have only had a problem with one pair and I emailed xero and had a replacement pair on my front porch within a week. I’m in construction and I wear them on the job site exclusively. I had excruciating back pain for the better part of a decade and since making the switch it has melted away. I’m not your typical flat-soled guy either. I’m not a runner and I’m 50 pounds overweight. I’m fatter now than when I wore regular shoes and my back is better than ever. Xero shoes changed my life.
I love most everything about them except durability. I'm on my 3rd pair which are their (supposedly updated ) Terraflex II. After 3 weeks they were already splitting at the sole/uppers.
As far as flat soled shoes and your back, I couldn't agree more! Soft, comfy shoes have made us soft and weak to the point that we have back and knee problems and have cone to actually think of arch supports as sometimes good for us. In fact, generally speaking, the perceived need for arch supports is proof positive that someone's foot has either never fully developed a foundation of strength or their foot has weakened to the point their arches have collapsed!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 yeah they’re kind of cheaper ended but it makes it easier to buy because even if they were higher strength they’d be super expensive and the soles would wear out just so to being flat
Which ones do you wear at work?
@@glovepro1256 360. They have a thicker sole.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 360s might be the option
This is the most respectful review. Didn’t step on Xero shoes toes much. But got straight to the point. As someone who is looking to buy new hiking shoes , this was beneficial ! Thank you
Then my mission was accomplished!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 Thanks for the honest review. I had a pair of Xero Prio shoes and used them for light hiking. After only two months of intermitent use, the sole fell apart. With the benefit of hindsight, I think the hard, arid terrain where my hikes took place was a little too much for the admittedly thin sole of my Xeros. Since then, I've been carefully using another model from the same manufacturer (the Ridgeway Mesh Low), with better results. So far, the shoes have held up.
I have two pairs...never had a problem. Wear them everyday gym, work, running!
It would appear that our experiences have been vastly different!
I have two pairs as well. High tops and running shoe, both are phenomenal. Love the extra toe room, too.
And neither experience invalidates the other! It seems, based on my experience as well as others, that it is hit or miss with Xero shoes durability. Please don't be offended that my experience was different than yours!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 Oh, no worries. I'm not offended in the slightest, just offering my experience as a counterpoint.
I got a pair and it became the best shoes I ever wore. I could never go back. I wouldn’t ever complain if the company sent me a replacement pair.
For most shoes I have owned so far, it's usually the soles that wear out first and but for Xeroshoes, it's the opposite. They nailed the sole durability, but their uppers and glues are just really underwhelming. They actually do a lot of warranty replacement for their shoes, and with all that lost money for replacement, makes me ponder why they don't just design the shoes to be more durable so they won't have to replace their shoes all the time.
Hi Ryan. Great review! I have to say that I have used the Xero running shoes (HFS model) for workout and running and am completely satisfied. However I do realize that each shoe is supposed to be designed for a particular purpose so I respect and thank you for your comments on these shoes. Although I don't typically do much hiking or backpacking I'll definitely keep your experience in mind for future reference.
I am convinced this will happen to every Zero shoe. I have had 4 versions and multiple copies of Xero shoes and the same issues shown here constantly occur. Granted, Xero has really good customer service and a 2 year manufacture warranty. So you can almost always have your shoes replaced.
Whitin are great shoes I'm on my 7th pair. I'm a truck driver and these are my everyday shoes. Machine washable I just love them
My xero shoes are holding up just fine.... for years.
I got a pair of Prio All-Days and loved them but within a couple of weeks the sole on one separated at the toe and heel. I notified Xero and they replaced them immediately. My second pair held out longer but one of the heels separated a bit after a few months. Rather than return them again I fixed it with a little dab of Shoe Goo and they’ve held up fine since then. Fingers crossed.
At the price, that seems pretty unacceptable
@@hammill444 shoe goo is actually recommended by most shoe repair professionals as an excellent solution to most problems experienced with constructed shoes. There are lots of factors that go into shoe making and repair, but delamination is a hard-to-prevent, easy-to-fix situation. Xero shoes tries to limit the glue used in construction because it isn't as flexible as the sole is, and sometimes mistakes are made, glue is applied too thin, ect.
But maintenance is required for all types of shoes, regardless of construction, and using shoe goo is perfectly normal and acceptable.
@@hammill444 their construction methods and materials are trash. For the prices they are charging it’s ridiculous. Walmart shoes last
Longer.
Have had 6 pairs of xeros. No problems other than waiting for my size.
42$ is a normal price for a simple minimalist shoe. 100-150$ for one is insane.
Finally someone that addresses their durability. I bought a pair of boots for my middle schooler in 2019 and they didn’t last. I was very disappointed for paying a decent amount of money. At the same time. I bought vivo shoes in 2019 and I’m still wearing them. I wear them daily, occasionally I’ll skip them if there is snow or lots of rain, otherwise they are on my feet. They are starting to look worn out, but the show overall is whole. Now I want to get some for my son, but just not sure about xero since I had that bad experience. All video reviews seem to rave about them. As much as I’d like to give them another chance, my experience with vivo has been so good that maybe it’s worth sticking to what has worked (vivo).
I think Vivo are a great option, their only downside being the price. Even in a world of "you get what you pay for," they're still at the top of their category!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 they are expensive. I used to have a lot of shoes there for a while ( dress up for work, outings, etc), but I’ve also been know to wear shoes until they can’t go anymore. Now I’m back at a point in my life where having one multipurpose pair, is so liberating. Less clutter, less choices 😄. If we want to stretch it, we can add a little dress up pair, and some sandals for summer/water areas. The ones I got from vivo where the sort of water looking shoes. I can’t remember what they were called. So very multipurpose, and washable. They don’t have them anymore. I haven’t tried other brands besides xero and vivo. For the durability of vivo (so far) and as little as I like to buy shoes, it has been a good investment so far.
Not entirely relevant, but for some reason, I also really dislike xero’s website design haha.
I get it. My wife and I attempt to multi task all of our shoes and clothing for our lifrstyle and adventures!
if your still looking vivo does 25% off when reccomended by another email. It brings the new price similar to there revivo area
@@balbibou yep they just went up a little more on the usa side 160 for a pair of primus lite 3 or like 157 euro. so crazy for once something is higher in usd then euro lol but thats mainly because most other currencies have dropped compared to the usd
Its very important to have negative reviews like that. No sugarcoating. You had bad experience, you tell that. Thank you.
Thanks for your feedback, and for watching!
I think they are still a growing company. I loved my mesa tails by xero I invested in their hiking boots they didn’t fall apart in my Grand Canyon trip but I did get about 3 blisters 🥺
I just LOVE my Xero shoes!!
Yup, we all hate to complain. I have your Xero Shoes. Mine are green too. I hike in nasty situations. Rain too. No glue in the seams has let go. Six months in. I also use them doing hard work on the property. Amazing stability. They were drenched in the rain three days ago. I just set them high up and dried out nice. No curling or nasty smells from the insoles. I am extremely pleased. I know shoe manufacturing. It is very possible that your were a part of a bad glue batch. I feel your frustration. I bought two pairs of Merrells. Customer service said bring them back to the retailer 25 miles away. I sent them pictures of the cloth fraying like crazy and the entire shoe coming apart from the sole. All within one week. I have four pairs of Xeros. Nothing falling apart yet. Thank you for your Feral Review!
Haha....you're welcome! And you may be right about the glue.
Stay tuned for an updated review in the future. Xero is sending me a pair of their Terraflex II to try out. They say the soles are welded on the new model. Fingers 🤞!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 That would be great. I would think the welding is heat pressured together. I checked mine closer this morning and it does appear that the material is cracking ànd the sole is coming apart from the sole. Plus, they do slip on the roots of trees when damp during a hike. Walking down a damp walk is a slippery risk as well. The sole seems more plasticky than say a Vibram. The crappy Merrells do not slip. Take care.
@@ArtOfHealth other than durability, the slippery soles are my only performance complaint. Like when I see algae covered rocks or slick roots it induces a minor pucker factor....lol.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 yup, me too🏃🏻♂️
I’ve loved my Xeros for hiking the Colorado Trail. With all brands, there are cycles of manufacturing with different suppliers and materials that aren’t consistent. But I also have just bought another pair of Whitins, not because my current pair is failing but because I want another pair as a backup in case the company goes away. Three years and going strong.
I've always wanted to try Xero but I'm cheap and had started off with the Whitin type Amazon barefoot and water shoes and I love them. This vid is example of if it working for me I'm not missing out by not paying for a well known name. Though if Xero or one of these companies can come up with a hoops version of barefoot, I'll pay to try it. Thanks for your review. So great to hear people seeing the value in the Whitin's. To me it's such an affordable way for people to get into the barefoot shoe game.
I understand that products produced here cost more to make. Things start looking even crazier when you price the Vivobarefoot brand, which is difficult to justify with their $270ish price. The Whitins may not be the most stylish, but they are great quality.
Knees over toes guy supposed to be coming out with a bball shoe
Appreciate the candid review and story with your experience. I was about to pull the trigger on a pair of Xero's but you mentioned Whitin and I already got a pair so thanks for the reminder that I got a solid pair of shoes! Keep on treking!
Thank you for the honest review on different perspectives.
Had a couple pairs of Xeros never had any problems. Only pair that died on me were a pair of their Hanas, but that was after 3+ years of fairly heavy wearing. Did a 7 week holiday around Europe with a pair of their HFS, walked 30-50km per day, no issues. I don’t hike so am not sure if that puts them under different stresses… haven’t tried any of the hiking / trail variants…
I really respect how kind you were considering the circumstances.
Absolutely love my bright blue Whitins, tread is starting to fade but that is because I have used them for literally everything ( workouts, hiking, trails, running on roads & sidewalks etc).
Hilariously the ad before the video was for Xero shoes.
I think xero are as minimalisty as the barefoot shoes get as far as ground feel and everything else we look for in barefoot shoes. As such, while I'm no mechanical engineer, I'm not surprised they don't hold up as well under aggressive hiking use cases.
The other shoe in the vid is actually slightly more minimalistic. Thinner sole and insole. They have more miles on them while wearing a backpack and shoe zero signs of wear thus far. It seems to me that regardless of whether a high stack comfy shoe or a minimalist shoe, they could be manufactured to the same level.
Except for the toes not being separated, they look just like a typical pair of Vibram Five Fingers.
I think it's because the cheaper ones has
"Cup" type sole fused with the upper.
While in xero shoes all sharp rocks, branches and other stuff would rub against the fabric and treads.
Could very well be.
I have two pair of xero shoes the Prio I have had a year no issues I did have to buy a new insole for $7 and they feel like new. I just received the Zelen and wore them 2 days now. I work in furniture and walk 10 to 12 miles a day at work on concrete.
I’ve had similar experiences with both brands. I only walk and run in them, no trail running. The Xeros started delaminating after a couple months of daily wear. I gorilla glued them to try to make do but then other parts of the shoe would delaminate. I then bought a Wittin in a similar style and have had zero problems for almost a year of wear. I bought a different style from them a few months later with similarly great results. The only bummer with Wittin is that there aren’t many styles or colors, but I’m not planning to go back to Xero.
That sucks man, sorry your experience wasn't better than mine. And unfortunately, not different than many other viewers who commented.
I just got the Terra flex but have not hiked in them. Hopefully they can hold. I have 2 other pairs of xero shoes and have been very happy with them that I use for everyday use. So far so good. Sorry about your experience
You should give their Sandles a shot. I have had great luck with mine. Watch for sales and you can get them pretty cheap😊
I've hiked a fair amount in sandals, it's good on some trails but when the terrain gets steep, they just don't cut it for me!
I have seven pairs of their shoes and 3 of the sandals. The Teraflex 2 is the only dud in the bunch. They feel a size smaller than all of the others in the same size and the lugs are so pronounced and spaced that they become uncomfortable. Thanks for the review!
I had a similar issue with the Prios from Xero Shoes. Granted I wore them for everything, I only ever have 1 or 2 pairs of shoes at a time so I definitely got my money's worth. The soles just kept separating but they fulfilled the warranty on them twice! Worth the money in my opinion.
In theory any minimal shoe from ebay to a top brand, there should not be any difference because its a shoe that should just basically protect your feet enough to run, walk, hike, etc. Because the purpose is have your feet muscle become stronger and adaptive to your environment, the point is not for the shoe to be comfortable to wear but for you to become a custom to not having all these padding on your feet. If you watch people from other countries that don't wear shoes for different reasons they do not complain about how they are not comfortable or can't move because of not wearing shoes when they run, walk, play, etc. The point would be not to wear any shoes if these type of shoes is what people are looking for.
Super Interesting! I wear Terra Flex for golf, and I play A LOT, and they're fine. BUT I do have the PRIO all-day waterproof ones too, that I wear for wet golf, quite a lot less, and the soles on one are coming away. Didn't think about it before...
Xero has the most functional barefoot minimalist shoes. Sure, they have had some challenges but they've always been good about them.
I love mine!!! AND I bought the boots! They have definitely helped me maintain balance, increase my ankle strength! Love them!
I have the been wearing the WHITIN shoe like the one you were showing in black/black for 10 months now in the gym on runs, mountain biking and on weekend errands to the store or whatever and these things hold up well! I was weary as well as they were made in China but I must say I have not had any issues with them. No tears or anything. I actually have been waiting for them to break to give myself an excuse to buy another pair. Because I go barefoot in them 99% of the time I keep them fresh with foot powder because they make my feet sweat a lot. Then I occasionally put the inserts in the washing machine to wash out the powder and dead skin build up and they are like brand new again.
I highly recommend these shoes for the durability and price.
Which particular model of the WITHIN do you wear for the gym ?
I'm a 3500-4000 mile per year trail/mountain runner and have thousands of miles across various Xero shoes/sandals and never experienced a failure. That said, I wouldn't be confident enough to wear them in the Sierra or a rip across Grand Canyon and back. I'd want/need something more durable and more protective in case of a bad toe strike.
How heavy of a pack do you normally carry? (I want to backpack in mine, but I’m hesitant to do so in my Whitins just yet)
My pack typically is around 35 lbs and that's carrying 6 lbs of camera gear.
Heavier in winter of course and lighter in summer.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 awesome yah I’m about in that range too. I may have to give er a go on the next outing!
Appreciate the review . I always check out peoples experiences before investing so much for shoes.
You're welcome!
I started on the zero drop train about 2 years ago. I've only had Lems and the Whitten brand you mentioned. I just want to attest to the durability of the Whitten brand. Granted there are about 4 or 5 brands on Amazon that use that same sole but I wore them about a year everyday and used them to summit Humphreys peak in Arizona still in great shape. The lems "9-5" shoe is a durable comfortable shoe if you work in an office.
Lems are good too. I've been rocking a pair of them since last November and they're holding up without issue. They are zero drop but anything but a minimalist shoe. They're fairly thinly padded and for me I've found them a perfect balance between feeling the ground and not wearing your feet out on trail.
I'm obsessed with my Whitins. I bought them on a whim and walked probably 30 miles in a few days on a trip and my feet have never felt better. The price point is amazing too.
I've had a bad experience with Xero Shoes in the past as well, unfortunatelly. The sole on one pair (not sure about the exact model, but it's similar to yours) started to separate from the shoe in the front after few weeks of just casual use. The second pair (sandals) snapped at the spot where the strap was attached to the sole. It happened when a small branch got stuck in between my foot and the strap, but only a light force was enough to snap it. But to be fair, those sandals had served me well for many months prior.
You're sharing your direct experience; that's honest and fair.. and good fellow-hiker support :~)
I wonder how the Whitins have held up?
After studying and considering for a few months I bought the Vivobarefoot Forest ESC boots for wet/mud/snow-capable property/field chores and hiking. I chose them 'cuz they're leather and have luggy, stitched-on soles. I treated them with Sno-Seal (an old favorite natural beeswax waterproofing) before winter; I've been able to use them in every condition I wanted them for and appreciate them more every time I use them.
Whitin shoes are great if someone wants to try switching to a minimalist/barefoot shoe. I have two pair and wear them more than my xero shoes.
I couldn't agree more!
This is a great video… I have about eight pairs of xero shoes, and the only pair that has fallen apart on me is the TeraFlex. And I have not even worn them that much. All my other zero shoes have held up very well.
Nice advertisement for WITHIN Men's Trail Runner ,compliment 👍👏👏👏👏👏
The review seems fair. Xero 9/10, despite failing your trip twice and ~$100; WINTIN 7.5/10 1/2 cheaper but does seem to do good job
Loved your honesty! Cheers for the good review
Thank you, I feel it's important to attempt to be as objective as possible when reviewing something or some place. Give'em the facts, they'll decide on their own!
I've been wearing their "casual" style shoe for work (I work in kitchens and am on my feet all day long). I have been wearing them everyday for about 6 months now, and they have been absolutely fantastic. Aside from having some food and minor stains from work, they still look straight out of the box. I'm now wondering if I can wash them or how to do so. I love them and will be buying more. I've also been eyeing splay athletic shoes for this summer. Good review and info. I'm really liking my whitins.
Thank you, I'm glad you found the video useful!
You can wash your shoes in a regular wash cycle. You do want to refrain from drying them as the heat will degrade the glue. Just machine wash, spin cycle, amd lay them over one of your hvac vents to dry.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 nice. Thank you.
Splay shoes are awesome, I highly recommend them!
@Nick Garcia thank you, I'll look into them!
You should go barefoot for the spring, summer, and early fall, and then try going into the fall some more if you want to push it, but don’t if you don’t want to. But then again, Idk what the climate is where you live.
You’ll just have to progress your skin toughness at first.
Just bought a pair for my dad. Giving them to him tomorrow. They didn't have the ones I wanted again so maybe I future. But after watching this, I'm starting to 2nd guess. Gonna have my dad test b4 I purchased my pair now.
love my whitin shoes, first pair of barefoot shoes ive bought. spend 170 on the xero xcursion waterproof boots for them to fall apart, break and leak within hours of my first use walking through wet grass
ive had Xeros for many years now several pairs actually and my experience has been nothing but positive. I appreciate the review though as you are using yours way more heavily than I am but I've had 4 pairs of hana's and they last longer than any other shoes I have purchased. granted not the same model shoe and not the same usage
Ya it appears, based on comments here that isn't every model that has the durability issues. The Prio seems to be another well built model.
I bought a pair of hana today for walking and running. Hope I have a similar experience
I appreciate this review. Thanks for sharing your experience.
love xero shoes, but ive had this exact issue. the shoes are insanely comfortable. the soles on my first pair of prios from several years ago are still fine. the uppers on everything but the water shoes have also held up (i went on multiple long hikes with the water shoes because they were so comfortable and they got chewed up by twigs ... still use them for yard work). overall, they nailed the uppers and lowers. its just keeping them together thats the issue!
I've just bought my 6th pair of Xero shoes and plan on buying another soon. No problems at all. Have had issues with other brands though, that made me return some that were new and sell some that were used. Xero are the best barefoot shoe company and they're always improving design and durability with new models.
Hopefully they apply the improvement you speak of to the Terraflex!
I went through 2 pairs of v1 and them they sent me their updated and "improved" v2.
The v2 is an improvement but is still failing the same way as both v1 I had.
Right on that same edge for me too.
I know you said you couldn’t get any other brands but if you can get your hands on vivo tracker FG’s, I find them to be awesome. I wear them for (domestic construction) work where I don’t need capped boots and so far they hold up great and my God, they’re comfy!
Thanks! That's actually the shoe I was looking at
@@lifeinthemiddle55 so they are more comfortable to wear then other vivo shoes?
you can get those shoes for about 10-15 dollars direct from china. Might have to try out at least once.
So far mine are holding together perfectly.
I had this Shoe and it felt really nice wearing it and stepping into it for the first time, reeealyy good, but the Quality of the Sole is not good. My Shoe broke after 3 Hikes. Within is actually amazing, i wear them at Construction Work for 2 Years and they still hold up.
Thanks for your honest feedback. I was looking at Xero for shoes to wear at work. They may hold better at my workplace since it's not as intense as backpacking in the mountains. I may not get Xero but I'm still searching for the perfect everyday/all-purpose barefoot shoes for me.
Lems!!!!!
@@noobitronius Do you own a pair? How is it? There is one shoe from Lems that has caught my eye, Primal 2
@@Sienn0 I own 4 pairs. Love them all. What are you looking to use them for? I don't have primals.. for hiking I use Altras. However I think the primals look great.
@@noobitronius More than likely for casual wear and maybe the gym as well
@@Sienn0 for casual wear, I really like the Chillums. Super comfy, and I like the minimalistic style. The primals would also be a good choice, I think they are pretty popular, I just can't vouch for them personally. But if they are anything like the other Lems I have purchased, they will be great.
Thank you for this review. My husband is looking for a good pair of barefoot shoes. I had a bad experience with Xero’s customer service a couple of years ago when I tried to return a pair of sandals that didn’t fit and I refuse to deal with them again. I was glad to learn about the Whitins and will suggest them to my husband.
I'm glad to know you found it useful!
The Whitins aren't perfect, but for the price, they are hard to beat!
I'm from 🇨🇭 land and i wear terraflex for 2 jears without any problems 🤷♂️
You are more fortunate than I was!
I guess it’s immaterial now…two pairs of TerraFlex showing that wear? Bad batch? I haven’t a clue, but I certainly understand your reasoning…and disappointment. I own a pair of Whitins…..I know this will sound shallow, but I can’t get over the goofy fake molded toes. I still wear them on RailTrail run-hikes with my dog….and they are lasting pretty well. I also own a pair of Altra Lone Peaks, which I have Section Hike backpacked the AT in. And I also own a pair of Xero Prios….and they seem to be doing pretty well, but I only wear the Prios when are running. Good review, amigo….to the point, and supported by your “real world” experience.
The xero 360s have been pretty durable. I have had some other models and they weren't as durable. I'm pretty heavy on my feet so I've been surprised the 360s have held up so well.
Thanks. Good Review.
Been wanting to try within. Always wondered question I need no arch. He’s having an arch or no
Whitin have no arch, just like Xero.
This was my expeience with 2 pairs of Xero shoes back in 2018. The are simple not constructed with high quality materials. I loved the fit and look compared to other brands but the they fell apart quickly.
The exact same thing happened to my pair after two months of city walking.
Have almost 500 miles on my Whitins. I track my shoes with the runkeeper app. They are holding up great. Can't beat the price.
After about 8 months using my prios from xero shoes most of the seams are coming undone and the inside of them has fallen out 😂 they are made in china and I was very disappointed. Oh and barely ever used to me outside it’s just my kitchen pair.
Sorry to hear you've had a similar experience. I've contacted the company directly and they seem to cling dearly to "we rarely experience defects in our shoes." Meanwhile I'm on my third pair (second replacement) and they're doing the same thing.
I'm 235lbs, and my Xero HFS shoes are holding up so far *fingers crossed*. Granted I mostly using them for trail running and walking. No bouldering or steep descents.
I wanted to give barefoot style shoes a try to see if they would help my ankle rolling problem. I've been wearing a pair of Xero Mesas all summer. I wear them as kick around sneakers all day and for day hiking. Haven't rolled my ankle once. Plus my slight knee twinge has cleared up. I notice my hiking speed has increased since retiring my hiking boots. The Mesas have held up well for the last 3 months, guessing they have about 75 miles on them.
I have a pair called the "prio suede" I think, Maybe they've upped their quality control since you made this video but I used them all winter, and our winters are DESTRUCTIVE on footwear with all the salt and ice, slush, etc... Held up fine and I've been using them on trails, concrete, while driving, everywhere except work where they make us wear steel toes...
Agreed. It's clear to me from many comments here that the issue is mostly with the model I reviewed and not so much the others.
This video just came up on my feed so I had a look. I then inspected my own Xero shoes. I only really use them around the flat when I'm doing knee mobility exercises and I've noticed mine are also coming apart at the seams! Only had them 3 months too. That's disappointing. They feel amazing to wear though.
I couldn't agree more, I loved everything about them except durability!
vivo seems similarly good to wear and are they more durable?i mean if they are minimalist should not all minimalist shoe should feel the same?
@@lifeinthemiddle55 i have a question is vivo better like when u wear the overall comfortability etc and sole like i mean idk i have never tried minimalist shoe but gonna try vivo as i use injinji socks and honestly they are really hard to wear with typical shoes like nike adidas + i hate high heel drops even 5-8mm feels bad so i would definitely prefer barefoot feel i assume as i like it when i am barefoot in my injinji socks so is vivo really good?or xero is better i mean comfortability wise and barefoot feel wise which actually wins?as i mostly want durability dont wanna go around buying a shoe again and again tbh i prefer to use my shoes for a long time also is there any differences like major difference in all minimalist shoe or like the differences are there but minimal in general and its more about durability?it would be great if u could answer these questions bro
@@gamersforlife3440 I can't opine on the Vivo as I've never worn them. I can say that they get great reviews, but they are very expensive.
I theory, minimalist shoes should all be the same, in reality they're very different. How much traction the soles provide on precarious surfaces is a huge factor for me and where many manufacturers fall short, in my opinion. The durability is also a big deal as outlined in my video. It seems, based on other viewers comments on this vid that other models of Xero seem to hold up very well. The Terraflex and Terraflex II are hot garbage.
I've had the same issue actually with a couple different sneakers (Prio and 360) with the sole separating, and the company knows about the issue as the founder has addressed it in a live video, but his excuse was that this is a common issue in the shoe industry... but to me that was a cop-out. I've never had this issue happen this quickly and on multiple pairs. I still love Xero shoes and will continue to buy from them because they're very comfortable and the delaminating issue doesn't occur on every pair I've owned. I wonder if there's a chance they don't want to use what they consider to be non-environmentally-friendly adhesives and opt for "biodegradable" adhesives if such things exist, and those alternative materials typically wear out much faster in general and are ironically more energy-intensive to produce than the conventional material.
That's like going to your car dealer regarding premature engine failure and the dealer saying "all engines fail."
@@lifeinthemiddle55 Yeah very true, it does have the same energy as that excuse. I really think they just don't want to use typical adhesives in the shoe industry because they think they're more harmful, but the quicker peoples' shoes break, the more waste is produced!
I bought a pair of xero shoes last month, they came with a defect in the front, I sent an email some weeks ago, and until today I haven't received a response. They don't want to know, the support service is non-existent. It was my first and last order from them.
Ive had good luck with Xero. Ive heard a few mixed reviews.
Xeros fit me better. Whitin are awesome too though. I’m not as tough on shoes as you seem to be.
I agree sort of lol. I had the same problem with the xero shoes hfs and bought the whiten and have worn them for 2 winters now and love them for winter shoes. I do however still absolutely love my xero shoes z trail sandals for the rest of the year.
I’ve had 3 pits that fell apart and two of them wore through the sole. Their customer service was great and replaced them… but horrible quality and not worth the hassle.
My Xero Prios fared pretty identically to yours. I waited a while before reaching out to them, and when I did they never even bothered to respond. Poor quality product + poor customer service. It’s a shame, because like you, I found them some of the most comfortable shoes I’ve tried. They were my first minimalist shoes and I found Mr. Sashen’s “barefoot” videos highly informative and thought-provoking.
My Prios are 3.5 years old and although they are pretty weary by now, they still didn't fall apart...
Dude... I just bought a pair of xero shoes, they'll be here later this week. Hopefully I'll get a good set, I've heard many positive reviews.
Hopefully not the Terraflex II!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 I bought the HFS, hopefully they’ll be as good as the reviews
@@barefootshoeguy I think you'll fare better.
Xero really needs to sew their soles onto their uppers instead of just cementing them together.
Damn, not the review I wanted to hear but needed for considering my first barefoot shoe. Whitin is very enticing with price except they’re a Chinese company. That’s an automatic disqualification. Do you have an USA companies you suggest? I was considering Xero or Lems
I have considered others. The one's you mention as well as Vivobarefoot. The Vivo's are crazy expensive and are based in the UK (I believe but not 100% certain).
New Balance makes a real decent shoe that almost fits the barefoot bill, the Minimus 10V1. They are very minimalist but have a 4 or 5 millimeter drop. Other than that, all I've found are Chinese based companies. Good luck to you, and let me know what you end up with!
I bought a pair of Xero shoes about a month before a trip. They dug into my ankle so badly that I got bruises on my ankles. I couldn’t wear them. Something felt wrong with the way my foot was rotated in the footbed. I complained and they didn’t do anything to fix the problem. My go to minimalist shoes are Lems, but I also like Vivobarefoot too.
I copped the vivo tracker forest Esc. They were really truly broken in after a 100 miles and have been my hiking companion for another 1000 miles approx. and aside from a couple of branch scuffs they pretty much like new. This will be the first winter in them though so if you are looking for durability grip and anklesupport, these are likely te rally the dream for hiking!
Is it possible you aren't properly fitted? or is it possible your feet may have a different shape than most? or could it be the way you walk/gate? Not trying to be a jerk but maybe there is some other variable that is contributing to the failure besides only the shoe? I can't believe a company like Xero would have widespread results at what seems like very little duration and still be in business.
Your wife hikes with you? why not both get the same pair and compare after doing the same hikes, the same distance over the same time frame? and see if her results are different? Cheers
Thanks for watching the video. As a backpacker, properly fitted shoes are a must. You would only make the mistake once of humping a 40lb pack with ill fitted shoes. I own a pair of Altra Lone Peaks that have hundreds of miles on them thru everything imaginable, mud, snow, desert, countless river crossings. The soles are almost wore completely thru and the uppers tho look old don't have so much as a stitch out of place. It shouldn't matter what you're doing in/with a shoe, they should wear out, not rip out. I'd rather not waste any more money to attempt to disprove what I already know to be true. Take a minute to read thru the comments here and you'll find that many others have had similar experiences, especially with the Terraflex.
I'm currently on my third pair of these (second replacement) and they are splitting in the exact same place and these are even the (improved) Terraflex II. Mostly gym usage as I no longer trust these shoes in the backcountry.
I love my Whitins! I’ve been using the reagular and trail runners for 4 years and they are great. Luckily I don’t care how they look fashion wise lol. I want to get some Xero Alpines for winter though. Anyone have any experience with them?
I have the same TerraFlex and they have the same splitting where yours did. But I've done so many miles of backpacking and hiking with a 30+ pound paraglider on my back that I'm personally not bothered. Although the outer "leather" is split there is no hole so they are still perfectly wearable, just not pretty - they are now my dirty paint splattered work shoes for the yard.
I would say a couple of things about this problem: Firstly my experience is that Xero is 100% behind their guarantee - I've used it a couple of times now for a defective shoe and prematurely worn sole on sandals. Secondly I feel like the TerraFlex was a bit of an experiment and the sole to upper connection isn't really made for backpacking with a heavy load or use where there's a ton of sideways movement - like on a very rock trail where your foot is often not flat. I'm now backpacking in their 360s and love them. I have a second pair for scrambling that's a half size up. They are designed for cross training and have excellent multi-directional grip - almost as good as the fancy "Approach" shoes climbers use. The sole wraps up quite a bit higher around the uppers, not as much as the Whitin you showed, but almost. So far the only noticeable wear on them is the mesh effect around the uppers has ripped in a couple of places but that is with substantial abrasion on the trail and it is 100% cosmetic and barely noticeable.
The Whitins look interesting and priced to sell. Not sure I love the style but that's really not my main concern when I'm outdoors! Thanks for the video and hike on!
They definitely stand behind their guarantee, although the return process leaves something to be desired. I'm now on my 3rd pair (they sent their updated Terraflex II to try out) and sadly they started splitting in the same place after just a few weeks. No pack, 10 or so miles of day hikes and just gym use.
Super disappointed.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 that's a drag. I assume you don't have some freakishly wide feet? Even so they really shouldn't split like this. I know all their shoes are manufactured overseas but I don't know what their QA cycle is like. I had an offer to be in some early access group but I'm unsure if that was to test the shoe or just get early reviews out.
@@enmodo just regular old Flintstone feet!
I had the same invite and I believe it's more marketing than anything. But what do I know?...lol
@@lifeinthemiddle55 Well, that sucks. I was considering getting the TerraFlex II soon. I probly won't now. Thanks for this review and update. : )
Hilarious that this video is preceded by a Zero shoe commercial...😅
Yep, their reach is deep...lol!
Thanks
I have bought six or seven pairs of xero shoes and my experience has been completely opposite of yours I have had one pair for 3 years and you can tell they've been worn but they still are comfortable with with I believe much life left in them.😊😊 I have been happy with all of their shoes. I do think they are a little pricey but I think they're worth it
I have two pairs and they're the best shoes I've ever had and I have a bunion on my right foot.
People wears shoes different i reckon, it's also different doing mountain hiking, then just walk to the gym or run, i quess
Yep, Xeros are very poorly constructed. No QC whatsoever.
It's unfortunate, because they're unbelievably comfortable.
My favorite and least favorite shoes at the same time.
I'm actually having much better luck with the Terraflex after giving up on the Mesa Trails(2pr, 93 and
@OwenM, I agree the velcro is quite annoying with the Whitin's!
Are not vivo similarly comfortable?differences should be minimal bro i mean i really dont understand how can these shoe be less or more comfortable the soles are basically like minimalist no?except yes rough and cheap materials used can make a difference i agree on that but it should be technically minimal and not huge i think ?
I could have written the same reply. I love them so much for their comfort, but I dislike them so much for for their lack of durability. Plus recently I bought one pair of their most expensive trail sandals on sale, and they are less comfortable that the very very cheap ones I bought a few years back ... The sole is falling a part only after a few miles!
I noticed this just looking at the amazon pictures these are shitty quality yet they are expensive.
Great information. I'd say it's a no brainer and they exaggerate the toughness of the shoe. I do not believe they last like they say.
IMO should be used for weigh training, (jogging but probably light work and knowing the limitations, that it will probably wear lol) And for Feet Correction. I've been wearing really crappy shoes for too long and I believe it's causing issues that hard to notice and now I am noticing.
I will be ordering the Prio Soon. And hopefully my results are good.
But this is great for calling them out on their claim. They shouldn't claim its so and so and can't last and falls apart.
I don't think this should be used for any kind of hiking.
You nailed it! Even based on most of the comments here, the folks who seem to have the best luck are the one's who are using them for lighter activities. If they ever get their toughness/quality issue solved, I'd be happy to purchase again!
@@lifeinthemiddle55 yeah Definitely. Ordering the Prio Cardinal Red now.
I think they have other versions for you to try. Maybe good for UA-cam algorithm on your side.
Excursion Fusion & Hiker Fusion.
They look beefier.
Terraflex has no business with it's claims.
Alpine I think is winter.
I just want to justify the $95 on my end. I got some sick Suede Nike High tops in the past Highly discounted. So I do have decent shoes. But been using crappy everyday memory foam trash. That I believe is doing damage to my body.
@@1XSTEALTHTWINTURBOX1 I'll definitely look into them! As far as your feet, strong feet are something you never really knew you needed till you have them. On that note Xero has their game down with truth as far as outlining what comfy negatively do to your feet. The transition is tough, but once you're there you never look back. Barefoot shoes have also alleviated my low back pain from degenerative discs.
I've been thinking about making a change from altra to xero but I think I might look into other brands including the whitton Thanks
I've now gravitated towards Lem's.
Zero drop, wide toe box, lightly padded.
Not padded enough to where you don't receive feedback from the trail tho.
Definitely on par with Altra.
@@lifeinthemiddle55 solid recommendation I will definitely check those out thank you