Footwear & Gloves

Review of the XERO Shoes Umara Z-Trail Sport Sandal

June 9, 2016

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5 min read

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*Coach Helder may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post

Here Is My Video Review On The XERO Shoes Z-Trail Sandals:

I enjoy hiking, trekking and even long distance running. I also like to maximize my training effect so I do all that I can to make each session count. One thing that I pay close attention to during these locomotive events are my shoes. Marketing companies have us believing that their, mainstream, running shoes have all the technology needed to aid you with each step. They add more cushion, higher arches, higher heel drops and other features that to me, hurt you much more than they help.

I have no ACL nor meniscus in the right knee. I incurred a few injuries while serving as an active-duty U.S. Marine. I didn’t have the knowledge that I do now or else things would have boded a lot better for me. This is a major factor as to why I really want to share this information with you today. Due to the severity of the injuries to my right knee, doctors and specialists were in unison with their recommendations. Basically, I needed to have a ligament taken from a cadaver, yup.. a dead body, and have it attached to my right knee. I would also be on a heavy dose of pain-killers for a while. With those options, I had no choice but to look for a different route.

I began delving and learning other fitness methods and approaches. One thing that started to become a standard was minimalist footwear. By taking away the technology that typical running shoes were offering and sticking to being barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes, I began to change my body mechanics. My alignment was better, I stood taller and everything just felt.. Right! I entered a few events such as mudder races & even marathons wearing my minimalist shoes. This new way of thinking & training was working and.. – I Got My Life Back!

Recently I was sent XERO Shoes Z-Trail Sport Sandals to review. I had reviewed a pair of these minimalist shoes years ago when the company first started out. They are based off of the huarache sandals that the Tarahumara Indians were wearing and covering hundreds of miles per day, mainly running. This was brought to the attention of mainstream runners with the book, Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. XERO shoes decided to improve on the primitive design and have been making better sandals with each passing year.

These Z-Trail Sport Sandals now have a great look to them. The original sandal seemed to be a bit to minimalist in look for most people. So even though people were aware of the health & performance benefit of XERO Shoes, the look of wearing the original huarache sandal out in public was too much for most. Well, with the Z-Trail model, you can now gain the benefits from wearing a minimalist shoe with the look similar to many of the sandals available on the market. So no one will look at you twice while you are wearing your Z-Trail sandals. The excuses have been taken out and it is now time to concentrate on refining your body mechanics.

If you are in need of a shoe that is lightweight, takes up very little space in your pack & can greatly increase your health & experience in the outdoors, take a closer look at these Z-Trail Sport Sandals by XERO Shoes.

SPECS ON THE Z-TRAIL SPORT SANDAL:

New for 2016
Up to 76% lighter and thinner than other sport sandals
Men’s 9 is only 5.4 ounces
5,000 mile warranty.
Perfect if you hike, walk, run, jog, work out, Crossfit, yoga, raft, stand up paddle board, kayak, canoe, fly fish, even run ultra-marathons.
At only 10mm thick, it’s great for travel. Flexible enough to roll up and fit in your pack or pocket. Durable enough for wherever the Z-Trail takes you.
Zero-drop non-elevated heel for natural posture. Non-marking sole. Water resistant. Fast-drying. Great grip and traction. Z-style webbing holds securely, yet slides on and off in seconds.
NOTE: To guarantee a correct fit, please measure your foot: 1) Place a piece of paper on the floor, against a wall; 2) Step on the paper, your heel against the wall; 3) Mark the paper in line with your longest toe; 4) Measure that length with a ruler; 5) Compare that length to the sizing chart (link, above). To REALLY ensure a correct fit, get printable templates of the exact sizes by contacting the Seller.
3 Color Choices
Almost 100,000 people in 94 countries use Xero Shoes