Xero Shoes Mesa Trail is back (mens and womens) as a proven contender for best minimalist trail running shoe. Each year, more people are discovering Colorado-based Xero Shoes for barefoot and minimalist footwear.
Whether you are looking to experiment with zero drop workouts, or an experienced minimalist trail runner: the Xero Shoes Mesa Trail 2 is a good trail running shoe to test out.
I spent over a month running in the Mesa Trail II on trails, gravel, road, steep climbs, steep descents, snow, ice, and mud! This is a fun and versatile shoe. Let’s breakdown some of the features, strengths and weaknesses.
Xero Shoes Mesa Trail II Features
Tread and Traction
The Mesa Trail 2 features nice all purpose lugs suitable for most running days. The lug depth is deep enough to grip without creating drag on flatter surfaces such as packed dirt or roads.
I’ve mentioned multiple times how these lugs have a similar performance to the lugs on the New Balance MT 110s — a shoe designed by Anton Krupicka which achieved a cult-like following. They are good for the majority of normal terrain, capable on dry steep terrain and poor in extreme mud and snow.
Here are some examples of steeper terrain the Mesa Trail II does well on:
Low Profile, Zero Drop
The low profile of Xero Shoes are an advantage on steep terrain. The foot stays flat to the surface and even an accidental twist is lower angle than built up shoes which create an unfavorable leverage and can create a worse dynamic for the ankle.
I’ve stepped on the side of rocks in both Xero Shoes and Vibram Five Fingers and could swear the low profile saved me an injury.
Trail conditions which are not good for the Mesa Trail would be on the extreme ends: deep snow and deep mud. The lugs can’t grab in these conditions and the uppers are not made to repel moisture. Light snow might be okay and I’ve run plenty of miles in light spring snow conditions, but deep snow could be dangerous (even with thick socks). For example, I’d want a more substantial shoe for these types of snow conditions:
Most people will find the traction on the Mesa Trail II perfect for the majority of trail runs.
Xero Shoes Mesa Trail 2 Strengths
I’ve run the Mesa Trail series of trail running shoes on a wide variety of terrain in varied weather conditions. Here’s what’s to like about the shoe:
- A zero drop shoe which really is zero drop!
- Enough protection underfoot to avoid prancing, but not enough to ruin the minimalist experience. Purists will think these are a bit overbuilt, but I’ll take the balance of economical protection vs. ground feel.
- Good toe and heel protection
- Thin and ventilated uppers
Xero Shoes Mesa Trail II Weaknesses
On the whole, this is a very solid shoe for the genre. Here are my critiques:
- Shoe laces are odd. They’ve improved since version 1, but they are still a bit peculiar.
- Intense weather conditions are too much (one could argue minimalist shoes are meant for such conditions, but Xero Shoes makes minimalist all weather minimalist boots too!)
- The forefoot area and lacing feels just a tad slushy, not 100% locked down but it hasn’t bothered me while running. I only think about it when dropping into a steep descent if the laces haven’t been snugged recently.
Summary
If you are looking for a good entry to barefoot style trail running, the Xero Shoes Mesa Traill II is a good place to start. There’s more to the shoe than a training shoe like Vibram Five Fingers, but enough of the minimalist running experience to get a good test.
If you are an experienced zero drop and minimalist trail runner, the Mesa Trail is a good generalist capable of many trail runs and solid on road and urban trail segments. You may not love the shoe if your idea of minimalist running is actually being barefoot, but this shoes gives a close approximation without needing to worry about impalement or rock stabs to the arch of the foot.
I’m glad this shoe is in my toolbox and is my first choice for most trail runs recently.
