Gear Review: Xero Shoes Z-Trail Sport Sandals

Gear Review: Xero Shoes Z-Trail Sport Sandals

One piece of gear that I knew I wanted to upgrade for the 2018 backpacking season was my camp shoes.  Previously, I was wearing the Teva Sanborn sandals. There were many things I liked about the Teva’s but the fit just wasn’t right for my foot and I knew I could find something lighter.  After quite a bit of research, I ended up purchasing the Z-Trail from Xero Shoes.

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Xero Shoes is a Colorado based company founded in 2009 by husband and wife team Steven Sashen and Lena Phoenix.  They are proponents of barefoot running and design footwear that allows for free movement of the foot and increased ground feel.  If you are interested in learning more about barefoot running, barefoot-style footwear, of just feet in general, they have a lot of interesting information on their website, www.xeroshoes.com.  

Disclaimer: I am not a runner and as much as I enjoy going barefoot I know very little about the pros and cons of the practice.  This review is from a backpacker’s perspective. I was originally drawn to the Z-Trail Sandal because if its weight and packability.  I purchased them to wear as camp shoes and occasionally during water crossings, but ended up also wearing them while walking, traveling, gardening, running errands, etc.

What I Like About My Xero Shoes Z-Trail Sandals…

Weight – My pair of size nine women’s Z-Trails weighs 9.28 ounces according to my home scale.  I was unable to find another pair of suitable camp shoes with my desired features that were anywhere close to this light.

Xero Shoes Z-Trail

Fit and Adjustability – Everyone’s feet are different but I personally love the fit of the Z-Trail sandals.  I also appreciate that all of the straps are fully adjustable and are the quickest and easiest to adjust of all the sandals I have tried.  Because the straps are not threaded through the sole of the shoe like some other popular brands, they slide easily to adjust and don’t have that small crevice to collect dirt.

Heel Cup – My biggest complaint about other sandals I have worn is that my foot “slides around” or doesn’t feel secure in the shoe.  The raised edge around the heel of the Z-Trail helps keep my foot in place and increases my confidence in my footing, even in wet conditions.  It also keeps debris out of the back of the shoe.

No Toe Separator – I wanted to be able to comfortably wear my camp shoes with socks but found it harder than expected to find sandals without a strap between the toes.  The Z-Trail was one of only a few models I found that seemed to meet my needs and also lacked a “toe separator”.

Packability – No more hanging camp shoes off the outside of your pack!  The photo below is my take on Xero Shoes’ demonstration of how flexible and compact their sandals are.  Each shoe can roll up to about the size of a fist but I actually prefer to pack them flat. They slide easily into the main compartment of my pack or fit into any of the exterior pockets.

Xero Shoes Z-Trail

…And A Couple Things I Don’t Love

Cosmetic Imperfections – The Z-Trail sole is made up of two layers of foam with rubber areas on the bottom for traction.  The insole is gray “BareFoam” and underneath is a layer of colored (mine is green) “TrailFoam”. One of the first things I noticed when I took my new sandals out of the box was the small pieces of green material hanging off of the sides of the shoe.  I looked as if the “TrailFoam” layer had not been cut cleanly during production. After wearing them a few times, most of the extra pieces fell off and seemed to have no negative impact on the performance of the shoe. This imperfection turned out to be truly cosmetic but it did cause me to question the quality of the product right out of the box.

Xero Shoes Z-Trail
A few pieces of green “TrailFoam” still hanging on

Velcro – The heel strap on the Z-Trail adjusts with a hook and loop closure.  This type of fastener is lightweight and user friendly but it collects debris and will eventually wear out.  Right now I am happy with the way the closure functions but I hope it doesn’t end up being the factor that determines the lifespan of these sandals.

Bottom Line

I was originally unsure about spending what I consider to be a significant amount of money on a camp shoe just to shave a few ounces off of my base weight.  Ultimately, however, I am extremely pleased with my purchase. I never wear shoes in the house but when these arrived, I tried them on and ended up wearing them for most of the afternoon, writing blog posts, doing laundry, etc.  They are comfortable, so lightweight I forget I’m wearing them, and just feel “right” on my feet. As a result, I am getting more use out of them than just camp shoes, from beach hikes to grocery store runs.  

I believe that a thorough product review includes both pros and cons, but the “cons” I mentioned above resulted more from my personal skepticism than from actual product flaws.  So far, I am pleased with the overall quality and look forward to trying other Xero Shoes in the future.

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Wouldn’t be a New England summer without fresh berries. #hikertan #forage #iloveri @xeroshoes #optoutside #goeast

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A Few Of The Awesome Places My Z-Trails Have Taken Me

Peaks Island off the coast of Portland, Maine

Sandy Neck on Cape Cod

Garfield Ridge Shelter, waiting out a stormy afternoon in the White Mountains

Have you tried the Xero Shoes Z-Trail?  Are there any other camp shoes that you would recommend?  Let us know in the comments below!



2 thoughts on “Gear Review: Xero Shoes Z-Trail Sport Sandals”

    • I’m glad you found this helpful Shannon! I was unsure about the Z-Trail before I tried them on but now I’m already thinking about my next pair of Xero Shoes 🙂

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