New to Barefoot + Hiking Shoe Recs?
Hi folks! (First time posting on Reddit!)
I recently started wearing barefoot shoes. I have two pairs of Xero sneakers that I love and honestly didn’t take that long to get used to at all. I wish I could wear them all the time but I’m pacing myself as a beginner.
I was super excited to expand my barefoot shoe collection and after the sole of my current hiking shoes completely came off I decided to use that as an opportunity to try out barefoot hiking shoes. After some research I chose to try the Xero Mesa Trail WPs, size 8.5 (same as my other Xeros, which are nice and roomy, almost too much so).
I went on my first hike in the new Xeros a few days ago, which was about 4 miles long, a little slippery, rocky. First of all the shoes immediately felt just a little tight which surprised me as I had read they run larger. Second, while the incline was ok (though not perfectly comfortable), the descent was REALLY uncomfortable. They are extremely inflexible and while initially tight, my feet felt like they were sliding to the front of the shoe and my big toe was rubbing uncomfortably against the shoes all the way downhill. I am definitely not interested in repeating that experience on other hikes.
I am wondering if other people had the same experience with their first barefoot hiking shoes, and/or with the Mesa trails specifically. I don’t want to give up on barefoot shoe hiking but don’t look forward to trying out a ton of them to (maybe) find The One….
Thank you!