MESA TRAIL-THE ULTIMATE TRAIL RUNNING SHOE [IN MY OPINION!!]

     I am very happy to be able to review another of one of the new offerings from Xero Shoes, the Mesa Trail.  Please check out the link above and take a look at Xero's Spring 2020 collection.  They now have these, the Colorado, [Review below]  and many other new styles.  This is a great release, and you really ought to take a look.  There's something for just about everybody [including the kiddos!]   

     I’ve previously reviewed the Terra Flex, a no-nonsense all-purpose trail shoe from Xero.  This shoe, however, is specifically designed for trail running.  It has a great, luggy sole that gave good traction on dirt, grass, sand, gravel, pretty much any surface we could find.  It even gripped well on some pretty steep inclines, some of which were pretty wet and mossy.

      We took the Mesa Trails out to Los Jilgueros, a local nature preserve near home in Fallbrook, CA.  We picked this spot, as it has a lot of varied trails, as well as some interesting man-made features that gave us a chance to see how these perform on lots of surfaces.

     Xero has preserved a measure of ground feel, as with all of their shoes.  This is a really rugged sole by Xero standards, so there is some ground feel trade-off for the traction and rock protection that it provides.  While rugged, the sole maintains the flexibility that we have come to expect from Xero Shoes.  These shoes do come with a removable insole if you want to enhance ground feel.  It almost goes without saying, but these are, of course, zero drop.

     This shoe has a very soft, breathable upper with a mesh-type quality from all of the ventilation holes built into it, including the tongue.  The Mesa Trail has more of a traditional lacing style than many of Xero’s other models but laces up nice and snug for trail work.

     One thing I noticed immediately was how light this shoe feels.  Xero has built a really tough trail running shoe and not sacrificed lightness nor flexibility.  Although this isn’t an “official” weight, my Mesa Trails, at size 13, came in at a mere 9.3 oz each.  If you plan to do any distances, the lightweight feel to these is a huge benefit. 

These shoes have a tough but flexible toe cap that gave me all the front protection needed on trail runs.  It also has a protective vertical strip up the heel.

The interior is soft and felt great with or without socks and the toe box is quite roomy, even for my wide feet.

     Overall, I really like the features, style and fit of this as a trail running shoe.  These are new, so I can’t yet speak to durability, however I have been wearing Xeros for 10 years now, and, although some are pretty banged up from heavy use, I haven’t worn out a pair yet, so I am expecting this model to hold up as well.  I think you will like these, particularly for the blend of toughness, grip, flexibility and comfort, without the added weight that you may find in other brands.