Zcoli Mens Womens Barefoot Running Shoes for Outdoor Trail Fitness Athletic Training

I say surprisingly because I usually go the cheaper route and usually pay for it in one way or the other. I just returned from a hike in the Grand Canyon where I spent several hours a day crossing rivers and streams (Look up Havasupai), many of which had sharp coral like structure built up. I also had to do a decent amount of climbing. I was very, very pleasantly surprised at ho well these fit and how little my feet moved around, critical in avoiding blisters. The soles were nicely padded and the shoes themselves were well built. Please note, they look and feel cheap at first but that is an advantage as they are built simply, without anything fancy and just do the job well.

I have been wearing minimalist shoes (Five Fingers, Lems, Xero,etc.) for the past 7 years. These shoes have a little more padding underfoot than five fingers, which can be a good thing if you need more protection. The tread design is also deeper than the similar five finger design. A bonus is that these are easier to put on, as there are no individual toe pockets. Sizing is the same as regular running shoes. I ordered an 11 and 12. The 12 fits with a little room at the end, this is the size I wear in other shoes, such as Altras. I wear a 44 in five fingers.

I have a high arch and wide feet. These are able to expand enough to be comfortable for me. Also, the heel collar is soft enough that it doesn't rub my heel raw when jogging like so many other shoes do. Are they as wonderful as the Merrell Trail Glove v1 I once owned? No, nothing can compare to those. However, these guys are certainly worth every cent. I will say that if you find yourself between sizes, opt for the smaller size in these. They run just a tad large.

This is not meant to be "critical" so much as informative for others. I am comparing these to the Merrell Men's Vapor Glove 2 Trail Running Shoe, which I love. First, the Zcoli was slightly too small for me. This may not be the shoe's fault. It was listed on Amazon as a men's 11, but it actually is a 44. There is some conversion uncertainty. Some charts say an 11 is equal to a 44, others to a 45. My Merrells were a 44.5, so maybe the Zcoli is a perfect 44. They should just list it in European sizes and let buyers figure it out.Second, it is really more padded than a traditional "barefoot" shoe. As the picture shows, the sole is somewhat substantial and has pretty thick treads, which give it cushion. In addition, there is a traditional shoe insert that adds padding. There is substantial "squish" in the shoe, with 1/3 to 1/2 inch of padding. In contrast, the Merrell had must a thin sole and almost nothing internal. On the other hand, the shoe is still very flexible, as a barefoot shoe should be, and doesn't really offer any "support". I didn't run in these, but I would be concerned that "squish" without "support" might make this unstable and really defeat the purpose of barefoot running.

I love these to run in and I even started wearing them to work. With that said I think I have an odd body, feet, knees, hips. All the shoes that SHOULD be comfortable cause me such foot pain and back pain. These do not. I guess my body doesn’t want all the cushion and support. If you like minimalist shoes, so far these are a great value. I have the 5 finger shoes and some Merrells, I like these better. They bridge the gap and give you a little extra padding and support but still definitely feel minimalist. I can run over rocks in these though and my hurt my feet, can’t do that with 5 finger.

I bought a women's size 9, my regular size, I love it! It's light and comfortable. I used it for the first time to go hiking, it was great!It's a bit on the wide side, but socks fixed that.I was afraid the color orange would be bright as reflectors but they were not!

Back in 2017, I joined this crazy "2017 in 2017" challenge: basically running (or walking) 2017 miles in 2017. I soon discovered that I could walk better in my flats than in my sneakers, and I was in a runners group that talked about "zero heel drop." And thus a whole new world was opened up to me! I bought a pair of $80 Merrells and fell in love. 3 months later, the Merrells are ripping apart at the seam. The pair they sent to replace them didn't do much better. I found other "reasonable heel drop" trail shoes, but always wished I could still afford Merrells. And then I happened upon these babies. They are PERFECT. In fact, I forget that I am wearing them. Their maiden wearing was for a 5K Adventure Trail Run (streams and horse jumps) and they were amazing. I am wearing them right now because I forgot I put them on at lunch to walk around my yard and I wore them to work in my fancy dress. Because you forget they are even on! They do not have separate toe areas, but the wide toe box is amazing. I prefer an 8.5 with sneakers, but can wear anywhere from a 7.5 to 9, depending on the shoe. I bought the 8's because I didn't want them to be too big. They are fine. If you prefer a little more wiggle room, either trim your toenails or buy a size up. I can even wear them with thin socks and they don't feel too tight. I love that they are not traditional laced shoes that I will have to worry about losing in sucking mud. (Seen it happen!) I love the splash of pink, though I kind of wish I'd bought the orange. Thing is, with these, I could afford to buy a couple pairs!

I might have guessed, given the sizing, that they might run wide compared to most women’s shoes. I was right. The length was correct, but they are definitely the width of the average men’s shoe which is much too wide for me foot (I cannot typically wear men’s athletic shoes for this reason.)They are also not very breathable. The material is very flexible and comfortable, and I wanted to love that. But the material reminds me of a neoprene water shoe, only much thicker, and it was immediately evident how hot and sweaty they’d be. Much less breathable that my normal “gym shoes”. If I could get this same design but with a TRUE mesh material that breathes, and in a narrower width, I’d be totally on board!