Travel Sandal And Shoe Comparison
Flip Flops
Havaianas for relaxing, beach times with no adventure in sight, flip flops are a still a solid option
- The Xero Z-Trails provide the same minimalist feel, and stylish look that flip flops provide while staying secure and allowing you to run, hike, and adventure with more durability.
- If youre staying on the beach or by the pool, you can get away with the flip flops. If youre walking around and want to keep your pack light while adventuring, opt for the Xero Z-Trails.
- When standing around I still rock my OluKai flip flops and love themits a requirement as a Californian. But for travel, Im only taking my Xeros
Hiking Sandals
- Chacos provide a thicker, cushier sole which gives more protection on rocky terrain but compromises packing space and makes the sandals unsuitable for running.
- For those planning to wear heavier packs and intend to bring only their hiking sandals , consider sticking with the chunkier hiking shoe as youll need the protection and comfort to stay happy.
- If your hikes are shorter with loads around 25lbs or less, or youll also bring hiking shoes or boots the Z-trail is a viable option hiking option.
- Additionally, if you will also bring a hiking shoe or boot and plan on treks 3+ days long with a pack over 25lbs, the Z-trail is a great addition to wear in spurts and wear around camp at night.
Other Minimalist Sandals
Zero Drop Flexible Sole Comfortable Footbed
The Z-Trail EV is as functional in the water as it is on land, and its flexible sole means that it packs small, making it the perfect travel companion. This zero drop minimalist sandal has a comfortable BareFoam footbed and a completely flat sole from heel to toe to help enable natural arch support. It also possesses a built-in heel cup to keep the sandal in place and debris from getting under your foot.
Getting Your Shoes Or Sandals Replaced
Once approved, you can get your replacement shoes or sandals in-store or have them delivered.
In-store exchange
- Visit our store with your defective or worn out pair of shoes or sandals and well gladly assist you with the exchange
- Probably the simplest and most economical way to get it done, and you get to visit the RDRC crew )
Local delivery
- If you prefer delivery, well arrange for the replacement shoes to be sent to you
- Youll have to pass the defective or worn out pair of shoes to our delivery team
Overseas shipping
- Youll have to ship the old shoes or sandals to us
- Once we receive the old pair, well send the new pair to you
- All shipping fees will be borne by you
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Compare To Similar Products
| Adjustable slip style, soft footbed, comfortable | |||||
| Cons | Thin, lack of support, durability | Not best for high arches | Less supportive than others, loses some traction when wet | Narrow, lack of traction, no adjustability | Limited traction, stability, and versatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom Line | An amazingly lightweight sandal with superb comfort, flexibility, and a compact design | This lightweight sandal is comfortable, durable, and capable of handling anything out on the trail | Impressive comfort and solid all-around performance in a lightweight and affordable package | As simple as simple gets for a slip-on sandal that is ready for casual daily use | Solid sandal with a gel-like footbed, perfect for around the house and town |
| Rating Categories | |||||
| Synthetic strap with soft foam |
Take Them To The Extreme:
- Do you lift weights in Crossfit?
As they are flat they are perfect for your squats, deadlifts, lunges…
And because they’re so light, they don’t weigh you down when doing pull-ups. As if you were doing them barefoot.
- Do you go hiking on trails and in the mountains?
The multi-terrain FeelLite outsole will keep you glued to the ground with its redesigned tread pattern. Giving you the best traction on different surfaces. No matter how rough they get.
- Don’t mind getting knee-deep in water?
Use them crossing rivers, kayaking, swimming in a lake… don’t be afraid. You’ll never lose them: they float!
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Made From Earth And Vegan
The Xero Z Trail is made from earth and vegan-friendly materials, and it eliminates more than 70% of all unnecessary elements found in modern sports shoes. The soft, tubular webbing straps are made of nylon obtained from recycled water bottles, which is even better for the environment.
The comfortable tubular webbing system holds the sandal securely in place, and the adjustable Z-pattern allows you to get the perfect tension across your foot, over your foot, and behind your heel. Several users, however, complained that the buckle system connecting the straps and sole broke up easily after using it a few times.
Weight-wise, this new Z-Trail weighs only 5.4oz each piece for size 9 men. This redesigned Z-Trail is just as light and flexible as the original. When compared to the Z-Trek sandals, this sandal is 20% lighter.
The Ultimate Xero Z Trail Review
Pros & Cons of the Xero Z-Trail minimalist hiking and running sandals
- EXTREMELY durable design 5,000 mile warranty
- Highly functional: Great for running, hiking, and walking.
- Stay very secure during water activities not waterproof, but are quick drying
- Perfect for potentially wet situations and river crossings instead of getting your shoes wet
- Great camp sandals or camp shoes as they double for time around the camp fire while your feet breathe, and walking on the trail the next day
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What Are The Xero Z Trail Sandals: Minimalist Shoes That Are Ready For Adventure
The Xero Z Trails are a minimalist sandal that came off the tail of the trend to wear barefoot shoes, following the the success of the book Born to Run by Christopher McDouggal. In this book, the author shared his journey to discover a better way to run and in that experience he ran with the Mexican Running People, the Raramuri tribe.
The Raramuri people are legendary for trail running countless miles think 50+ miles over rough and rocky wearing homemade sandals laced around the ankle, often made with car tires for soles.
Fast forward a decade and that inspiration has led to a great sandal going mainstream for minimalist wear, barefoot running, workouts, and travel.
The shoe is designed as a flexible, grippy rubber sole held to the the feet via over the top lacing system and velcro strap heel strap that tightens easily and keeps the foot in place.
The result is a thin sole pair of shoes that is tough , packs down small, and delivers the same level of function as a pair of hiking boots combined with a sandal.
This adds up to a shoe that is great not only for minimalist hiking, walking, and adventure, but packs easily into a backpack for travel and that I highly recommend
Why Are The Z
While women frequently opt for the gladiator sandals that do look prettier than the Z-trails, these are still a very understated yet stylish sandal for women yet much more durable and functional than the gladiator sandals, making it worth bringing the Z-trails as an additional sandal
These sandals are a more functional version of your beloved gladiator sandals, except they let you run, jump, and playlike a girl should. But you can easily bring those and these too.
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We Make Sandals So Comfortable Youll Forget Theyre Even On
If your feet dont feel as good at the end of the day as they did in the beginning, you havent tried the Z-Trail EV.Get your Z-Trail EV – Men now and Live Life Feet First!free exchange programWomens Z-Trail EV
*Use the handy printable templates below to confirm your size before you buy.
| Mens Z-Trail EV |
|---|
Our Analysis And Test Results
The Xero Z-Trail EV was designed as a minimalistic barefoot-style sandal. This is a unique sandal within our lineup of more general use options however, it is still a solid contender. Chosen due to the splash it has caused amongst the barefoot running community this sandal handles itself well compared to its more technical or perhaps well-rounded counterparts. The ultralight design didn’t cut any corners or produce a fragile sandal compared to others. Instead, it provides a ridiculously lightweight sandal suited for adventures.
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Pro Tip: Pair The Xero Trails With A Minimalist Versatile Travel And Adventure Ready Shoe
For my first couple years of travel, the Xero Trails and the Altama OTB Maritime were all I needed to explore, hike, wander, and even swim. I highly recommend checking them out.
However, any of these great travel shoes would be perfect to pair with the Xero Trails for adventure.
Xero Sandals Z-Trails are the best travel sandals on the market. These tough, minimalist sandles are functional and rugged enough for adventurous travelers while still looking good enough to wear casually around town.
The sandals are lightweight and roll up small enough to fit in the palm your hand yet durable as car tires while still hugging your feet snuggly and comfortably enough to walk, run, hike, workout or swim without missing a beat.
Once you get off the mountain/beach/trail, their simple and minimalist sandal design looks great and fits into more casual and relaxing experiences, also making these my vote as the best sandals for men available. For travelers that want to be ready for any adventure, while keeping their backpack light and looking good, I highly recommend the Xero Z-Trail minimalist sandals.
Long term travelers need versatile, high performing gear that still looks good and keeps their bags light The Xero Z-trail fits the bill as the best travel sandal Ive traveled with to date. This minimalist sandal is designed as a car tire that hugs your feet with a comfortable layer of specially designed foam and soft, comfy nylon straps that keep the sandals hugging your feet.
Things To Consider When Adventuring In The Xero Z
Adapting to Minimalist Footwear takes time: For normal walking and hiking on moderate terrain, nearly anyone should be able to adapt to these shoes if common sense is applied. For sprinting and running longer distances, if youre not experienced wearing minimalist footwear research running in minimalist footwear for information on how to adapt to running in these shoes while avoiding injuries
Slippery when wet: As you use these shoes in hot and humid climates, the sweat from your feet will collect on the topside of the soles. You wont notice this at all normally, until the sandals get wet and the tops of the soles get slippery. Take care of this by cleaning the sandals with dish soap to wash off the oils every once in a while, and youll be running at top speed again.
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The Bottom Line For The Xero Z
After 6 months of testing, I love these sandals because they do everything well, which is exactly what adventurous long-term backpackers and one bag travelers need. Im comfortable making the Xero Z-trail minimalist sandals my only shoes for 6 months of traveling around the world in search of adventure from running with the bulls, to scaling Kilimanjaro, and plenty of nights out in between, these will be my sandal of choice
Highly recommended for long term travelers and travelers that pack light but do a wide range of adventures
I recommend pairing the Xero Z-Trails with the Altama Maritime Assault Shoe for your travels. This set of footwear will durable and high performing enough to have travelers ready for virtually any adventure
Extremely Durable Materials And High
Soles made from car tireslast and grip every step of the way: The soles are seriously designed from car tire rubber, called Feel True Rubber, inspired by some makeshift sandals that a pair of Tarahamura Indians made during a race from rope and an old car tire that they salvaged. The soles have been updated with a section of Feel True Foam which adds comfort on trails without compromising the 5,000 mile durability standard.
High strength tubular nylon webbing for straps: The tubular nylon is soft from the get-go, but strong enough and durable enough to be used in my rock climbing equipment.
5,000 mile warranty: Direct from Xero:
If you wear your FeelTrue® outsoles down to less than 1mm thick at the ball or heel of the foot , well replace them with the same product for the following price:
60% off MSRP for the product, plus shipping.
When people ask, How long will my Xero Shoes last? we say, We dont know, but its going to be a long, long time!
Thats why we offer this 5,000 mile sole warranty.
Bottom line on durability: Car tire rubber and rock climbing materials make the Xero Z-Trails a pair of very durable sandals. After 6 months of running, hiking, and cruising, Im confident theyll last every one of the promised 5,000 miles
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Cute Sandals For Women
Stay on trend when closed-toe is optional by exploring our latest women’s fashion sandals. Strappy gladiator sandals never go out of style. Heeled sandals or wedges are bound to make a fashion statement, while sparkly sandals take summer style up a notch so you can look cool on special summer nights.
Find the sandals you love from Madden Girl, Skechers and more. With big savings around every corner, you can stock up on all the open toe shoes you need at Shoe Carnival!
Works Great With Correct Toes & Other Footgear
The Xero Z-Trail EV works well in combination with Correct Toes, Injinji toe socks, and Pedag metatarsal pads. Each Z-Trail EV sandal weighs about 5.5 oz. Because of the TrailFoam in the Z-Trail EV, these sandals need a bit of extra attention. Please do not leave the Z-Trail EV in hot cars or exposed to intense, direct sun, as this could cause the TrailFoam to deform.
Note: If you are new to using Xero footwear, we recommend that you start in slowly, gradually building up your wear-time and giving your body the chance to adapt to the thinner soles and the increased workload on your feet.
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Lightweight Protection That Feels Just Right
The Z-Trail EV features an updated 10mm FeelLite sole with a middle layer of TrailFoam and an updated dual chevron lug pattern that offers the best combination of comfort, protection, and trail-ready traction while still allowing you to bend, move, flex, and feel the terrain beneath your feet.
At just 4.3 ounces each for a womens size 7, the Z-Trail EV remains just as lightweight and packable as the original best-selling Z-Trail.
What Makes The Z
LIGHTWEIGHT PROTECTION THAT FEELS JUST RIGHT.
The Z-Trail EV features an updated 11mm FeelLite sole with a middle layer of TrailFoam and an updated dual chevron lug pattern that offers the best combination of comfort, protection, and trail-ready traction while still allowing you to bend, move, flex, and feel the terrain beneath your feet.
At just 5.4 ounces each for a mens size 9, the Z-Trail EV remains just as lightweight and versatile as the original best-selling Z-Trail.
MADE FROM EARTH & VEGAN-FRIENDLY MATERIALS.
The Z-Trail EV eliminates 70% of the unnecessary materials used in modern sports sandals and because its soft, tubular quick-dry webbing is made from nylon sourced from recycled water bottles, its even better for the planet than before!
GOES ANYWHERE. GOES WITH ANYTHING.
Available in three colors, the new Z-Trail EV is ultra-capable yet stylish enough to accompany just about any look, so you can take anywhere from the trail to the boardwalk and everywhere in between.
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